By Sampson Boroh
An All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker at the National Assembly, Hon. Isreal Sunny-Goli has accused outgoing Governor Seriake Dickson of planning to frustrate the administration of the Governor-elect, Chief David Lyon, with surplus of debts.
He particularly slammed Dickson over his alleged refusal to completely pay the gratuities and pension arrears to pensioners who had meritoriously served the state, as well as clear the backlog of civil servants salaries and other benefits.
Sunny-Goli, a member representing Brass-Nembe Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, stated this on Monday, saying the outgoing administration of PDP in the state was planning to create crisis for the APC over his refusal to clear outstanding salaries.
The lawmaker alleged that the Dickson’s government is planning to bequeath monumental liabilities to frustrate the incoming administration.
Sunny-Goli, in a statement issued by his media assistant, Sam Dogitimi, posited that Dickson’s was leaving workers and political appointees’ debts to the incoming government in “bad faith” and to create disaffection between incoming APC government and the people of the state.
He said, “Dickson’s wickedness started from his first tenure when he denied severance payment to those who served under the Chief Timipre Sylva-led administration, except those who joined the restoration government for fear of intimidation.
“He denied me my severance benefits as Special Adviser to former Governor Timipre Sylva on Youth Matters because of my refusal to join the restoration administration.
“He also made sure I never got my statutory benefits while I was a member of the state assembly until I took the then speaker to the Code of Conduct Bureau. The case is still pending in the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
“Despite the availability of funds, we have gathered that Governor Dickson has decided not to pay the severance benefits to the immediate past members of the 5th Bayelsa State Assembly, because he intends leaving it to the incoming government to increase its financial burden.
Sunny-Goli, while maintaining that Dickson’s failed in his eight years in office, urges Dickson to take care of all legitimate financial liabilities before he hands over the baton of leadership to Chief Lyon on February 14th.
