Abuja—Chief Henry Seriake Dickson, Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District has replied to his Bayelsa East counterpart, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, for accusing him of inciting violence.
In a statement by his media aide, Fidelis Soriwei, Senator Dickson explained that the South-South Senators Forum led by Senator Bamidele Opeyemi and George Sekibo lobbied their counterparts from other sections of the country to increase the Host Community Trust Fund to 5% as against the proposed 2.5%.
According to him, “On the morning of the vote, the Senate leadership permitted the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, and the GMD of the NNPC to highlight the technical aspects of the bill, which in retrospect proved inimical to South South’s quest for 5 percent.
“The presentation by the ministerial team clearly and strongly stated that anything other than 2.5 percent was going to drive away investors from the oil industry.”
The statement stressed that “the South-South senators had done a lot of work and were confident of the support of their colleagues, who had pledged support for the minimum of 5 percent. This was the point Senator Dickson stressed.”
As a result of the discussions, the statement noted that senators from other parts of the country were willing to agree to 5 percent before the ministerial team led by Chief Sylva defended the 2.5% proposed by the executive.
“There was an intense period of disagreement and consultations on the floor during which majority of Senators who had pledged 5 percent agreed to support 3 percent higher than the 2.5 percent proposed by the executive and defended by the ministerial team led by Chief Timipre Sylva.”
Fidelis Soriwei noted that, “Senator Dickson’s statement was not a personal attack on the minister or anybody but a statement of fact unknown to the public.”
According to him, it was relayed “for better information and appreciation of the efforts made by the South South senators to get at least 5 percent for the communities.”
Urging Senator Degi to “refrain from spreading hatred, propaganda and falsehood,” the statement asked him to concentrate on making meaningful contributions to his communities, state and region.
He stated that “Dickson does not play petty politics by bringing local issues to blackmail people at the federal level,” despite the attack on his person.
The statement explained that during Senator Dickson’s reign as governor, he congratulated the minister of state for petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, when he was appointed.
He asked Senators from Bayelsa to support Chief Sylva during his clearance in the senate for the ministerial job.
Describing the statement credited to Senator Degi as a shame, the statement further urged Nigerians to “disregard the latest propaganda of Senator Degi as it is a typical case of taking the local Bayelsa politics to the National level.”
