I am not from Bayelsa state, but I find the remarks credited to Gov Seriake Dickson where he termed the good people of Bayelsa state, and by extension Ijaw people as lazy. This subject is trending on social media platforms including twitter and palmchat, and I feel slighted.
Is Seriake Dickson aware that he only indicted himself and his unfortunate government by that comment, and not Bayelsa people?
A Brief History
Please permit me to take us down history lane for a moment.
The Ijaw people are predominantly fishermen. Our fathers and mothers would go to the rivers to catch fish and trade for a living. In fact, we never depend on any handouts from any group, whether the white British or government. Even when palm oil was one of the main source of revenue, our people never abandoned fishing.
However, when oil was discovered in commercial quantity in Oloibiri, Bayelsa state and upon exploration by Oil Companies, our people started losing their predominant fishing occupation due to land acquisition, pollution and water pollution. It became so bad that our young men started to take to oil bunkering to erk living. All these happened because Government at ALL levels and oil companies abandoned our land and people. This reckless abandon even contributed to the first ever secession group in post independent Nigeria, the Niger Delta Republic led by Major Isaac Adaka Boro in 1966.
I believe we would have stuck to our fishing if our waters weren't polluted or if oil wasn't discovered in our land.
Sadly, the government at all level despite the loss of our natural occupation refused to empower our people and retrain our youths. The FG setup intervention Agency like OMAPADEC/NDDC but the agency have not met expectation despite the huge funds they get.
Oil Companies would rather bribe local chiefs and thugs instead of employing and empowering youths. State government and local politicians like Mr Seriake Dickson would rather arm youths to win election and settle them with appointment/allowing them freehand to perpetrate criminality instead of working to emancipate the youths.
They have instilled a kind of psyche that thuggery pays and for the fact that an hungry man is naturally desperate, he would lazy to expect free meal.
An Indictment On Dickson
Pray tell what has Dickson done for Bayelsa state to uplift them intellectually? Does Bayelsa have any functioning state Orientation Agency?
Ex-Gov Alamesiegha not only introduce scholarship to encourage thousands bayelsans to get the best education abroad, he also paid the scholars stipends, and increased the bursary of those in higher institution to the envy of non Bayelsans. This he did in addition to establishing the state university. What can be said of Seriake Dickson?
How do you empower people in absence of education? How do you expect people not to be lazy without proper skill acquisition? Our people are very good swimmers but has the BYSG ever deem it fit to sponsor Ijaws to be professional swimmers like the Australians?
Who gave out guns during the last election in Bayelsa state?
What Does He Expect From Bayelsans?
They incapacitated Bayelsans of their God giving fishing occupation, they refused to empower the community and the youths, they refused to train them with skill acquisition, they even refused to provide environment. Instead they empower thugs and even elevate their thugs to government position. In addition, The local politicians, monarchs and Oil Companies together deliberately cheat the people.
What do we expect from such a people?
Dickson and his cohorts should be grateful that Bayelsans have not taken to criminality, armed robbery and ritual killing.
The only crime of the good people of Bayelsa state is that they are not well orientated like their Yoruba and Igbo neighbours. Even at that, it remains the fault of the government at all level.
Bayelsans are not lazy, Ijaws are not lazy. Bayelsans are only victims of maladministration and faulty political system. Dickson should leave Bayelsans off his failed leadership.
Long Live Ijaw Nation!!!!! Long Live Niger Delta!!!! Long Live Bayelsa State!!!
Source
Tonye
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