I’m Not Sponsoring Militants; Gov. Dickson’s Claims Is Wicked, Cheap Blackmail – Lokpobiri

Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development,  has dismissed claims by Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson that he is sponsoring criminals and arming militants.

He however described the allegations leveled against him by the governor as wicked, ungodly, cheap blackmail and character assassination .

The Minister said the accusation by the governor that he purchanse arms and equipment for the militants is a figment of the governor’s imagination, insisting that he has nothing to do with militants.

In a statement made available through email to our correspondent in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state capital, Lokpobiri described the Governor Dickson’s utterances as a dance of the absurd on the misfortunes of the people of the Ndoro Community in particular and Bayelsa State at large.

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Dickson, had on Thursday accused the former governor of the state, Timipre Sylva and Minister of state for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, of sponsoring criminals which had led to the rise of militancy and criminality in the state.

Dickson in his first New Year Transparency Briefing held at the Banquet Hall Yenagoa, accused Lokpobiri and Sylva of sponsoring Kareowei and his gang.

But the Minister in the statement issued on Monday in response to the allegation against him and Timipre Sylva, said the open attack launched by the state Governor was a display of his penchant at abusing eminent leaders of the Ijaw Nation and his trademark politics of blackmail and character assassination.

“As a matter of fact, the people of Bayelsa State and indeed the Ijaw Nation know me and my pedigree so well and do not need any response from me to discern the truth in this regard.

“That I was with my kith and kin at Ekeremor from 31st of 2017 to 2nd of January, 2018 to celebrate the new year with a football match, wrestling contest and fun fare made Governor Dickson claimed that he had evidence that the Militant, Kareowei and his killers were in Ekeremor, celebrating with me, is not only false but wicked and most ungodly.”

“The same militant even came to threaten me on the eve of the New Year and fired some rounds at the River before zooming off. Interestingly, I shared my thoughts on the incident with one of our most respected security officer on my way to Abuja for a meeting with President, Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa on the 3rd of January, 2018.

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“The accusation of the purchase of arms and equipment for the militant is also a figment of the imagination of Gov. Dickson. I do not have anything to do with the militants and had never met him.

“Agriculture has been reported by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBC) as the highest contributor to the GDP in 2017. The claim by Governor Dickson that he has not seen anything I have done in my village is therefore petty and preposterous.”

“The theatrics of Governor Dickson is a dance of the absurd on the misfortunes of the people of the Ndoro community in particular and Bayelsa State at large.

“Common sense in good governance dictates that the proper thing to do is to attend to the needs of the displaced persons and do the needful to help them return to their community and rebuild their lives. This what all people of goodwill and I expect him to do as Governor of Bayelsa State.

“Let it be known that the shameful campaign of calumny against me is not an account of stewardship that should be the focus of a transparency briefing.

“Governor Dickson should use his briefs to explain to the good people of the State why there is starvation and misery when he has spent over trillions of naira on non-existent projects leaving the Bayelsa people with no functional roads, hospitals, schools, water, a huge backlog of unpaid salaries and a tattered economy.

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Senator Lokpobiri however commended the officers and men of the Joint Military Task Force code named Operation Delta Safe over the arrest of the notorious militant, describing the capture of the militant as gallantry.

“I commend them for their gallantry in taking out this notorious criminal and enjoin them to take out all such criminals in their theatre of operations.”

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