Chairman of the Silverbird Group and senator representing Bayelsa East senatorial District, Ben Murray Bruce, has called on his supporters and all Bayesians to make sure they support Governor Seriake Dickson’s re-election on December 5.

He also charged them go out and canvass for him for the state to progress and move ahead.

Bruce in a statement on Wednesday hinged his appeal on the record of performance of the incumbent governor in the various areas of development, saying when compared with the past, “Dickson has done so well to justify his re-election.”

According to him, the huge leap in education in Bayelsa State was due to the governor’s ambitious policy and programmes which have led to improvement both in school enrolment and academic performance.

He added that for this feat alone Dickson should be re-elected aside other strides in infrastructure.

Using figures from the African Health, Human and Social Development (Afrii-Dev), a policy think tank which provides factual data on human development indices in Nigeria and that of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as a reference point, Bruce said education in particular has since achieved greater improvement from being one of those listed as educationally backward states in the past.

He said: “Bayelsa State used to be one of those states listed as educationally backward states. Today, Bayelsa has gone from the bottom of the ladder to having the lowest rate of illiteracy among male Nigerians. In 2013, Bayelsa State had the 6th highest pass rates among Nigeria’s 36 states with 51 per cent pass rate.

“In 2014, it jumped two places ahead to become the number four best performing state with a pass rate of 52.83 per cent as 34,242 students scored five credits and above including Maths and English. This development, this miracle is the handwork of the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson and I doff my heart to him. If this is the only thing that Governor Seriake Dickson has achieved, then he deserves to be re-elected just for that. But no! He has achieved more; much, much, more.”

He also made reference to the level of infrastructure and the economic benefits of the various roads and bridges especially the Elebele-Opolo and Opolo-Imiringi roads, the Nembe-Ogbia Road as well as the two flyovers on Isaac Boro Expressway and the soon to be completed first airport in the state, among others across the state.

“I salute him (Governor Dickson) for releasing funds for the completion of the Nembe-Ogbia road. Children now will no longer have to swim to school. Cars can now come to the community,” Bruce declared, also praising the governor's leadership on tough decisions bothering on development, his integrity and vision to make a difference even at a cost.

Extolling the virtues of Dickson further, Bruce stressed that, “Where others see power as an opportunity, Dickson has seen it as a responsibility which is why the major grouse some people have against him is that government money is not circulating as it used to be.

But if Dickson had continued that practice, would we have seen the phenomenal rise in education numbers we are witnessing today? This is a man who is interested in the price of leadership and not the perks of leadership.

“Seriake Dickson is on the right track. I keep repeating that it’s not the government’s job to circulate government money amongst the elite. It is the job of a state government to grow the people and the people will grow the economy which will allow money to circulate amongst everybody and not just the elite.”

•Photo shows Senator Ben Bruce.

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