Bayelsa: Dickson appoints new commissioner for Information, 2 others

NEDU MARK, Yenagoa

Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has appointed Mr. Esueme Dan Kikile as the new commissioner for Information and Orientation as well as two others as Special Advisers in the state.

The new Special Advisers are, Dr. Seiyifa Koroye on Strategy, Documentation and Community Relations and Barr. Lloyd Ineye-Owonaro, Local Content Matters.

Dickson charged the commissioner and the Special Advisers to generate sound ideas that would further consolidate on achievements of the government, while also urging them to demonstrate absolute commitment to the ideals enshrined in the restoration agenda and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The Governor gave the charge in Yenagoa, the state capital, shortly after the swearing -in ceremony held at the Government House, Wednesday.

Dickson said the call has become imperative as they are coming into the government at a critical time, when the administration expects loyalty and dedication from its officials to enable it deliver on its mandate amidst daunting challenges.

Recall that Dickson has been operating the affairs of the state without the commissioner for Information and Orientation, having redeployed the previous occupant of the office, Markson Fefegha to another key position in his cabinet, therefore leaving the office of information vacant for over six solid months

On the new Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Governor Dickson urged him to re-engineer the Ministry to achieve effective dissemination of the government policies and programmes as well as enlighten the people on their civic responsibilities.

Highlighting the dangers of inadequate information on the government’s activities in the state, he noted that, mischief-makers who indulge in blackmail and propaganda for parochial gains would misguide the citizenry.

“You are not deployed to the Ministry of Information and orientation not because you were the Publicity Secretary of our party but because we know that you can communicate government’s policies and programmes, and also effectively communicate the constraints of our government.

“This is because there is the challenge of effective marketing and communication of our achievements to the citizenry of our state and the Nigerian society particularly at a time when a lot of people resort to blackmail and propaganda as political tools when they want to fight political battles.

“Instead of coming to face you to trade their ideas and examine the facts that are on ground, their own style is to blackmail. When we build roads and bridges, they will say it is not the state government doing it.

“It is therefore our hope now that you have taken over, that you would coordinate the information dissemination machinery of government to effectively communicate the achievements on ground.

“I also charge you to communicate our expectations of our people because they also have their own duties and responsibilities to government. A situation where everybody wants to live off government and where the government’s performance is judged only on the basis of what the people want to get from it even in the face of scarce resources cannot make for a sustainable society,” the governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Markson Iworiso.

On the issue of local content, Governor Dickson enjoined Barr. Lloyd Owonaro to liaise with the Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), to enable the state derive maximum benefit.

He stressed the need for the Special Adviser to evolve programmes to promote the growth of local businesses and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the opportunities that abound in the oil and gas industry.