Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Monday, lamented that his predecessor, Timipre Sylva, squandered opportunities for the development of the state during the five years he presided over the affairs of the state.
He said Sylva ran the state aground and eventually burdened with huge loans and bonds which his administration had been re-paying in the last three years.
Dickson spoke during an interview on “Focus Nigeria”, a news and current affairs network programme of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) which was monitored in Yenagoa.
According to him, Bayelsa did not make any progress in terms of growth and development throughout the five years of the Sylva government.
He said: “We inherited a very high debt profile from my predecessor.
“Bayelsa stood still for about five years. What I met were what DSP (Governor Alamieyeseigha) and (then Governor) Jonathan managed to put in place. Bayelsa stood still.”
The governor said the state was never associated with violence and political brigandage until Sylva became governor and enthroned gangsterism and cultism in the state.
He explained that Sylva, now a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), brought cult groups from neighbouring states.
Dickson said Sylva pampered the cult groups and gangsters with pecuniary benefits, adding that he funded the cult boys with Bayelsa money more than the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He said Sylva also empowered the cult boys more than he released money to contractors to execute development projects in the state.
He noted that Sylva mismanaged the state on a very large scale thereby creating the conditions for his government to begin the development of the state afresh.
He continued: “I was the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of the State. Until 2007 when we left for Abuja, we didn’t have cult issues in Bayelsa.
“But two years after or so, one year, two years, cult groups that were in neighbouring states were now brought to Bayelsa and those boys were given money every month.
“They (the cult boys) were better funded than our party (the PDP), they were better funded than contractors because I came to complete all those jobs.”
