Bayelsa Governor to head PDP reconciliation committee

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP)  has taken steps to heal the festering wounds in the party.

The party on Monday picked a loyalist of President Goodluck Jonathan and governor of the president's home state of Bayelsa, Seriake Dickson, to head a committee mandated to resolve conflicts in the party..

The National Working Committee, NWC, of the PDP which named the committee charged it with the responsibility of  achieving genuine reconciliation across board.

A statement from PDP's spokesperson, Tony Okeke, said the setting up of the committee is to ensure comprehensive reconciliation among members and interests in the party.

The Deputy Chairman of the Committee is Asheik Jarma, while other members include I. A. Obuzor, Salisu Suleiman, Walid Jibrin, Hope Uzodinma, Bello Matawalle and Niyi Fadimula.

Others are Jerome Eke, Chris Marizu, Tijjani Kiyawa, Christy Silas, Jangwe Yusuf and Ngozi Olejeme, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Onyema Ugochukwu, Yakubu Shehu, Mohammed Kuchazi, Adedeji Olarenwaju, Dapo Sarumi, Arthur Eze, and Emma Iwuagwu.

A former Deputy Senate President, Ibrahim Mantu, was also appointed as member; alongside Umar Gada, Dosun Fatokun, Harold Eze, Fati Sabo, Wakili Mohammed and Shitu Mohammed.

Umar Damagun was named as the secretary of the committee.

The statement added that the committee would be inaugurated by the National Chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, at the National Secretariat of the party on August 25 by 12 noon.

The ruling party is bedevilled by crisis in several states including Mr. Tukur's Adamawa. There have also been reports that some state governors, elected on the party's platform, are set to dump the party.

It is not clear if the disgruntled governors' would accept the mediation of Mr. Dickson and his team. Mr. Dickson, a known loyalist of Mr. Jonathan, supported Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau as Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum while the disgruntled governors all supported Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers. Mr. Amaechi has since been suspended by the PDP and is having a running battle with the presidency and the ruling party.

 
The  PDP became more polarised since the conduct of the NGF election, which the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi,  won with 19 votes.

Few days after the  forum's election, the PDP  announced the suspension of Amaechi, claiming that the action was taken  because  he  declined  to reconstitute the   executive of Obiokpor Local Government council of the state.

Even though Amaechi is currently challenging his suspension in court, there has been a series of crises in the state.

Few days ago, four governors elected on the PDP platform  were in the state to see him  but  were reportedly   molested by  youths said to have been sponsored by those opposed to the governor.

The setting up of the committee came few days after some PDP  governors visited former President Olusegun Obasanjo  in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where they complained about happenings in the party.

Acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr.   Tony Okeke, who   announced the setting up of the Reconciliation Committee, said its members would be inaugurated on Thursday.

Alhaji Asheik Jarma and Mr Umar Damagun, will serve as the Deputy Chairman and Secretary, respectively.

Other members include; Dr. I.A. Obuzor, Alhaji Salisu Suleiman, Sen. Walid Jibrin, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, Alhaji Bello Mohammed, Alhaji Niyi Fadimula Mr Jerome Eke, Mr Tijani Kiyawa, and Mr Chris Marizu.

Dr Christy Silas, Mr Jangwe Yusuf, Mrs Ngozi Olejeme, Mr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Yakubu Shehu, Mohammed Kuchazi, Mrs Adedeji Olarenwaju and Prince Arthur Eze, are also members of the committee.

The list also includes, Chief  Emma Iwuagwu, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, Sen. Umar Gada, Dosun Fatokun, Mr Harold Eze, Hajia Fati Sabo, Alhaji Wakili Mohammed, Alhaji Shittu Mohammed and Chief Dapo Sarumi.

Okeke, in a statement  said, 'In furtherance of the efforts to ensure comprehensive reconciliation among members and interests in the party, the National Working Committee of the PDP has set up a National Reconciliation Committee to harmonise all interests and achieve genuine reconciliation across board.'

But in Port Harcourt, the Chief of Staff, Government House,  Mr. Tony Okocha, expressed dissatisfaction that Dickson,  an interested party in the crisis rocking the party, was selected to lead the reconciliation committee.

He argued   that the PDP  should have nominated a Nigerian that had no  interest in the crisis affecting the PDP  so that  the committee would  appear genuine.

Okocha stated  that there were prominent Nigerians known for their ability to broker peace in crisis situations and wondered why none of them was selected to head the committee.

He added that bringing in those that were the  masterminds of  the NGF crisis to head such a committee would not help to achieve the reconciliation, which the party was seeking.

Okocha said, 'That committee headed by Dickson has a script to act out. When you are out to make peace, you must try as much as possible to isolate interested parties. Seriake Dickson is one of the hatchet men of the President.

'There are Nigerians who are peaceful. They (PDP) should look at them in selecting those that would reconcile aggrieved members of the party. What has just happened is like appointing (Godswill) Akpabio to head a committee to reconcile aggrieved members of the party that include Governor Amaechi.

'You can't bring those that were the  masterminds of  the crisis in the NGF to head the reconciliation committee. It  will not help any reconciliation effort. I can sit here now and tell you the outcome of the panel's efforts. Like I said; they are only acting a script.'