Bayelsa state is hitting up for its governorship election. All things equal, the date is November 16. That’s some 108 days away. For this reason, primary elections to elect candidates for the election is expected to begin on November 18. That is 17 days away. What this means is that aspirants are pushing into the final stages of their campaigns to be part of the election. Give and take, whoever takes the baton from Seriake Dickson, would have secured for himself, and his family, a four-year meal ticket in the first instance, and opportunity to impact on the life of the state and its people.
Impacting on the life of a state is primarily subjective because such could be negative or positive depending on who feels it. But there is high need for voters in Bayelsa to sieve through the heap of aspirants to elect for themselves, and Nigeria, a leader with impeccable credentials and integrity. That should be the first step towards ensuring that the state is managed like a state should. It would be possible that Bayelsans look at Imo state and borrow a leaf. Imo state, of the post-Ikedi Ohakim era, presents a good case of how a people ought not to behave during elections.
Just to emphasize: After Ohakim had been demonized, Imo people literally went to the streets asking for Rochas Okorocha. The story then was “Rochas we Know”. Of course, not many knew Rochas then, as they now do. Imolites did all they could, at the polls, to hand Rochas the opportunity to govern them. His ‘victory’ was heralded by a street party. Every imagery of his predecessor was brought down. Eight years after, the people regret their decision. They now see their ex-governor as the worst to have befallen their state in its years of creation. They now know that they opted for a John Herbert Dillinger instead. All factual tales about his past were ignored and seen as handiwork of traducers paid to pull him down. Now, Nigerians now know that not all character expositions about those who seek to lead are actins aimed at ‘PHD’. Most, are altruistic efforts to save the future.
Like it is said ‘had I known’ always comes last. But Bayelsans now have the opportunity to escape that experience. Learning from the mistakes of others is wisdom. Are Bayelsans poised to show wisdom? They better do.
Among the array of aspirants for the Bayelsa governorship are technocrats, professionals and gangsters of the Dillinger type, who strut the political space, with questionable credentials, and without any verifiable means of livelihood. They present themselves as the saviour of the people and liberators of the Ijaw nation. They exhibit some oratory of the Rochas type and lay claims to having the best interest of the state at heart. This is in spite of fact that they cannot point at any institutionalized infrastructure, built to the benefit of the people, as outcome of their years of strutting the public space as leaders.
One of the aspirants has had the privilege of pioneering a Federal Government interventionist agency. He got to hat office on the grounds of his affinity with the people. Then, he was seen as a grassroot leader. But, as we now know, he occupied that office for the benefit of his own personal self. Not for the good of Bayelsa. For if he did, Bayelsa wouldn’t have waited till the coming of Dickson to begin to witness quality projects with far reaching impact on the people.
Prior to being offered that opportunity, he rose from nowhere to become a ‘leader’ of financial house. His involvement in that enterprise sent two personnel of the Nigerian Air Force to jail on account of a fraud that he was said to be involved with. He escaped the long arm of the law but resurfaced to become Executive Director of Finance at the interventionist agency, where he would later become Managing Director. His time at NDDC consumed the Chairman, Amb. Sam Edem, who is still suffering the effect. Only God would say if Amb. Edem has forgiven him.
Since his tour of duty of personal aggrandizement at NDDC ended, he managed to tie down a job as an ‘emergency’ Special Assistant to a President and later, head of another interventionist agency. After these, his every attempt to land other jobs, off the masses, ended abysmally. He has bribed severally to become minister but failed. He has ‘settled’ to become governor, but failed. He has lobbied to be appointed to boards of federal government agency he considered to be “very juicy”, and still failed. Even as recent, he lobbied very hard to become a minister, and was rejected. His only hope of pulling himself back from the pit he put himself in, is the governorship of Bayelsa after Dickson. Of course, Bayelsans know that such will be the worst thing that would happen to the state. These are not just the reasons Bayelsans should be weary of his candidature. They ought to have known by now that sweet-coated politicians are deadly.
The people must rise now and use the opportunity of the November election to make a statement about the future of their state. They must doubly weary of those who parade the stairway dropping names of Abuja residents who are far removed from the goings-on in Yenagoa and other Bayelsa towns. No doubt, President Goodluck Jonathan is a good man. But dropping his name at every political, and even village, town union and church meeting, is certainly not the way to be elected a governor. In the same way, going around Bayelsa campaigning with named of Abuja-based political leaders, does not show affinity with the grassroot. All those names have a vote each.
Therefore, what Bayelsa people now need is a serious-minded politician who understands that rudiments of leadership. One who will worship the people, and not one who would ask that the people worship him instead. They need a human leader who has empathy not one for who arrogance is a lifestyle. Bayelsa needs someone who would progressively, and steadfastly, build on the achievements of Dickson, not one who would, like Rochas, seek to use the office to alleviate his family from poverty. Bayelsa needs leaders with impeccable credentials, who will proudly stand before the world in defense of their names; not one whose character, and credentials, is shadowy. The future of Bayelsa demands a progressively minded leader not one whose visions are etched in myopia.
It will be in the interest of the Bayelsa people to learn from the mistakes of Imolites in empowering a Rochas with the governorship. That mistake ought not to repeat itself in Bayelsa with the ex-NDDC man.
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