Bayelsa State governor, Henry Seriake Dickson on in Yenagoa on Tuesday celebrated the first year of his reelection and five years in office as the governor, with a pledge to lift embargo on employment into the civil service and broaden the scope of governance by rewarding those who worked for him.

He also stated that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win elections in the state in subsequent elections.

Dickson in his speech delivered at the popular Peace Park, where the event was held with over 5,000 guests from home and abroad recalled how Bayelsans, including women, trooped out to defend their votes, amidst booming of the guns, during the December 5, 2015 and January 9, 2016 supplementary elections.

“I will soon lift embargo on employment into Bayelsa State civil service. And all those who were part of the struggles will be rewarded accordingly,” he stated.

He advised loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to renounce their membership and join the PDP if they had ambitions to contest any future electoral positions in the state.

The governor had danced to the lyrical tunes of Ijaw war songs before addressing mammoth crowd of his supporters.

He said: “This state is unshakably PDP. When they tried to be funny, don’t worry, the reason I am Ofurumapepe leading this party is that when battle never tough, Ofurumapepe doesn’t come out.

“Anybody who wants to contest an election, let me put you on notice, the only platform that can win an election in this state under my leadership is the PDP. Which election will be tougher than the one we won with me as candidate?

“We will lead the party to win all elections in the state, God willing. We have nothing to hide. We are busy chasing the challenges of government in Bayelsa and at this time our hands as we have always said are opened.

“The doors of PDP in Bayelsa are open even for those who made mistakes, our big umbrella is waiting to receive all of them back. If they don’t come back no way for elections in the state. Tell them. If they come back, accept them.”

The governor insisted that the PDP would bounce back and regain the control of the centre in 2019 after resolving their internal crisis.

He said he had transformed the state and brought development high used to be fantasies to realities adding that the people of the state now have the best hospitals, roads and schools under his government.

“Everywhere you go, they tell you that one of the safest states in e country is Bayelsa because you said no to people who practice violence.

“You have seen massive roads and we will continue to build the roads, hospitals and schools which they could not build,” he said.

He noted that the hardship in the state was caused by APC at the federal level accusing the party of destroying the economy.

He said under the APC, Naira which used to be N160 to the dollar had skyrocketed to N500.

The governor, however, promised to lift an embargo in employment in the state immediately he completed his reforms in the public service.

He said his government would make more appointments to empower the people and reward persons who worked for his victory.

Speaking at the occasion, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP and former Minister for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said when he first visited Bayelsa under former Governor Goodluck Jonathan, the state was a mini-village.

Dickson, he said, had transformed the stage into a town describing the governor as one of the pillars of the PDP.

“With governor Dickson, PDP has a future,” he said adding that PDP managed the country for 17 years only for APC to destroy the economy.

He said all the institutions built by the PDP were being used by APC to fight corruption in the country and insisted that in 2019, the party would bounce back.

•Photo by Lucky Francis shows Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Seriake Dickson (left), accompanied by his wife, Rachael (2nd left) the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, retd (2nd right) and his Wife, Sylverline (right), leading the congregation with dance steps during a Thanksgiving Service, as part of activities marking the Restoration 1st one year of the Restoration Government's 2nd at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House Yenagoa.

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