The inuagration of a new government scribe in Bayelsa State would is expected to bring more than a royal flair to the governance of the state.
It was a solemn plea from a royal father who was at the centre of the recent political brinkmanship that nearly tore the state asunder.
Speaking at his inauguration as the new Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, SSG, HRH Barrister David Serena-Dokubo Spiff, Ada Spiff IX paramount ruler of Spiff Town (Ada Ama) Twon Brass, charged all Balyesans to put aside the pre-election bickering that tore the state apart.
“I have no doubt that if we (Bayelsans) work with the governor, Bayelsa would be bright again” Spiff declared. HRH Spiff who was brought in just last year to help stabilise the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Bayelsa State as acting chairman of the state chapter of the party, was last week appointed as the new secretary to the state government, SSG. It was a surprising move, given indications that Spiff had been expected to withdraw from his visible role in the political terrain after the successful re-election of Governor Serikae Dickson.
Spiff who comes from the same local government area as Chief Timipire Sylva, the immediate past governor of the state who was also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the last governorship election was the subject of attacks on the day of the last governorship election. The attack left him physically traumatised, and his home vandalised led to his hospitalisation abroad for weeks. But if anyone was expected to bridge the division that arose from the governorship election, many expect Dokubo-Spiff, to be the one. Besides his royal clout, Dokubo-Spiff has over the last ten years delicately walked at the borders of political re-engineering both at Bayelsa and at the national level.
One of the country’s leading corporate lawyers with offices based in Port-Harcourt, Dokubo-Spiff was also one of the leading voices from the South-South at the National Political Reform Conference of 2005. With his inauguration as SSG, he is expected to bring the tact that has guided him thus far into his duties in guiding the operations of government. He was, however, realistic when he said at the inauguration that the citizenry should not put their expectation beyond the reality on ground noting that the economy has His words, “high expectation from government in infrastructure and other sectors of the economy is no longer feasible, and then we must have a rethink when placing demand because the money is no longer there.
“No matter the economic policies we pursue, we will not succeed except we are united, the election is over and whatever animosity, bitterness and hatred that ensued during election let’s put it in the past regardless of political party affinity and face the reality on ground and the task of moving the state forward.” The new Bayelsa government scribe reiterated the need for the people to be patient with the governor, describing him as a visionary politician that has all it takes to reposition the state and the Ijaw nation.
He, however, thanked God, noting that during his brief stay as Acting Chairman of the State Chapter of the PDP, he was able to pilot the affairs of the party to victory; adding that when he was planning to return to his profession, the governor found him worthy to serve as secretary to state government. He assured that his entrance into mainstream governance would open vista of opportunities to stimulate all sectors of the economy in spite of the economic challenges in the country. Earlier, Governor Dickson had charged the new appointees to use their wealth of experience to evolve a strategy to move the state forward amidst the dwindling allocation to the state occasioned by the economic challenges faced by the country.
