The Bayelsa State Government on Sunday reacted to a claim by the Timipre Silva Media Office, describing it as a futile attempt to distract the administration of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson.

Dickson was accused of plotting to orchestrate a campaign of calumny against Sylva, his immediate past predecessor.

But Dickson in a statement by his Special Adviser (Public Affairs), Daniel Alabrah, said he was too busy with the execution of the mandate given to him by the good people of Bayelsa State and so would not join issues with politicians “who have failed Bayelsa and the Ijaw Nation.”

The governor advised Sylva to stop using the name of the President Muhammadu Buhari to cover up his criminal activities in Bayelsa State.

Dickson said that being in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should not be a license for Silva to sponsor criminal activities to the detriment of peace and security in the state.

He called on the security agencies to be firm in the performance of their statutory responsibility and not to allow unscrupulous politicians to take advantage of them.

He also called on the security agencies to ensure the security of lives and property in the state.

The Governor said that since Sylva became a member of APC, the party has become a gang of cultists, hooligans and criminals.

Dickson said that Sylva should be concerned that Brass, his local government area, had become a den of criminals.

The governor warned that he would not hesitate to invoke the powers of the law against anybody found to be involved in acts harmful to the security of the state.

The governor stressed that he had a duty to protect lives and property in Bayelsa.

According to him, Silva was only out to create the false impression that he was a factor in Bayelsa politics which was untrue.

The governor challenged Sylva to give attention to his dwindling political reputation rather than peddle falsity to misinform people.

The statement added that Sylva who sought to be governor twice and was twice was rejected by Bayelsans couldn’t have been pulled down by Dickson because he is already down.

Dickson said that the government would not hesitate to invoke the powers of the law against anybody found to have indulged in acts that consistently threaten the peace and security of the state.

He said that politicians playing politics with the security of the state with the tendency to drop the name of the President for the purpose of intimidating innocent persons should not be encouraged.

He said: “This is a government that has a mandate to execute on behalf of the Bayelsa people. We cannot afford to be distracted by falsehood emanating from Sylva and his men.

“Sylva should stop encouraging criminality in Bayelsa; he should support stability and development of his state. We have worked hard to address the insecurity and underdevelopment that Silva left behind.

“He is not even concerned that his local government area, Brass, has become a den for criminality. He should stop using the name of the President to intimidate security agencies to cover up his criminal activities.

“Another thing, he has no status to intimidate anybody, he has no followership, he is a failed politician. We know what he is doing in spreading fake propaganda to create the wrong impression that he is on ground. That was what he did when he created the mayhem during the last election.

“I called on security agencies not to allow themselves to be used by charlatans. I also want to make it very clear that we will not hesitate in invoking the law against anybody who consistently undermine security of the state.

“We call on the leadership of the security at the national level to encourage and support what the state has been doing and indeed the region instead of allowing criminally-minded politicians to play politics with security and use the so called federal contacts and the name of the President to intimidate people in matters that we believe the President is not aware. “

“It is ridiculous that Sylva whose Administration used Famutangbe and cult groups to turn Bayelsa State into a killing field, a narrative which the Restoration Government has changed, by putting the state on the path of peace, prosperity, development and stability.”

The governor called on Bayelsans to be steadfast in their support for his administration and shun all acts inimical to the peace and stability of the state.

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