LG polls: Why we can’t hold polls now- Gov. Dickson

Governor Dickson had recently dropped the caretaker chairmen in the eight local government councils and the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Labour Party (LP) had threatened to drag the state government to Court over its refusal to conduct the council elections.

 According to him when he came in 2012, he met elected chairmen of the eight councils in office and he did not tamper with their tenure and allowed them to complete their term with the plans to conduct elections which has however been hindered with lean financial resources.

 Dickson, who during a live media chat monitored, in Yenagoa, said he was a strong advocate of local government autonomy, maintained that since inception of his administration in 2012, he had not dip his fingers in the funds meant for local councils but has been supporting the payment of local government workers due to the dwindling resources for the local councils.

“On local government elections, I would really love to conduct elections into the local councils. But we really need to understand local government administration. I am a strong advocate of local government autonomy that was why when I came into office I did not tamper with the tenure of the elected council chairmen I met. Since I came into office I have not touched a kobo of local government money. This government does not deduct money from the local governments. But the mess in administration of local government is monumental. If we are to conduct election into local councils it is expensive because it is over a billion naira that would be spent and we can’t afford that with our current financial situation. Right now due to recession and scarce resources the state cannot conduct election. We are told the country has come out of recession, but we are yet to see it. Maybe by the end of next year, election into local government may be considered” he said.

 Dickson who insisted that his government is on course to deliver dividends of democracy in spite of distractions from opposing politicians both within and outside the state challenged Bayelsans to hold those seeking office on their vision.

  While noting that the distractions are petty and unfounded he reiterated his administration’s commitment to infrastructural development projects in education, health and reforms of institutions including the State Civil Service.

 “Our Government is about mega projects. In Education, we have commissioned the Ijaw National Academy. And we have discovered that lack of a functional education system causes rascality in political leadership. We have opened new boarding facilities in every local government councils and constituencies. Our state has the best functional public schools in the state and the State boarding school system is free. All the roads in Bayelsa are dualised. All the interventions have been done. I am satisfied we what we are doing but we shall continue to do more in Bayelsa. We have built health care facilities in about six local Government councils. The 350 bed hospital will be a referral hospital and it must be completed next year. Bayelsa is on course”