Restructuring: Bayelsa group backs Dickson, commends consistency

A socio-cultural movement, Save Ijaw Nation Group (SING) has commended Governor Henry Seriake Dickson of of Bayelsa State for his consistency in the agitation for the restructuring of Nigeria as the political temperature of the country for 2019 general election heats up.

According to SING, Dickson had been consistently speaking out and supporting the opinion of patriotic Nigerians who have been talking about the current structure of Nigeria which is no longer working.

The group in a statement by its Spokesman, Olufemi Lawson,  issued on Wednesday in Abuja also appreciated the governor for his consistent position on the need to review the long exclusive list in the 1999 constitution to allow for the transfer of several items to the concurrent legislative list.

He said it was instructive that when white pap is gotten from a black pot and the chicken begins to come home to roost, perhaps for once the nation will get it right and live as a nation should truly do.

Lawson said, “As much as we and Nigerians have given up on the APC and their style of administration of the country, it came as a pleasant surprise that the party’s committee will come up with the recommendations it did and in the form it did.

“Perhaps the ears that once were blocked and the heart once made rigid can now hear and reason. We commend and salute the courage and statemanship of the Governor of Bayelsa state, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson who has come out openly to commend the Governor Nasir Elrufai led committee about their sincerity and for doing for once what is expected of leaders who listens to the agitation of the people.

“We strongly align our opinion, with Governor Dickson, when  He did say that the recommendations had further strengthened the agitations for true federalism and resource control in the Niger Delta and he cannot be less right in his assertion.

“Our group join the governor of Bayelsa state to call on the APC to be sincere with the implementation of the recommendations as restructuring Nigeria would calm frayed nerves and strengthen the nation’s unity. We call on the leadership of the APC to ensure implementation of the recommendations of its committee on restructuring before the conduct of the 2019 general elections if only they wish to redeem whatever is left of their draining integrity.”

The SING said that implementing the report before 2019 general elections remained the only true test of the sincerity of the APC on the recommendations.

“What the APC committee did in its recommendations was the most fundamental of all the approaches to the burning issue of restructuring in the best interest of the country.

“As a politician driven by conviction beyond partisanship, we commend the Governor of Bayelsa state for his courage in admitting a one time good from the obviously  disappointing APC and also commend the APC on its bold recommendations on restructuring because it was right and worthy of appreciation.”

While challenging the APC to prove doubtful elements in the country wrong by putting in place the right measures to implement the report, the group hoped that the recommendations of Dickson must be seriously looked into by all Nigerians.