Reconciliation: Stay To Rebuild PDP, Dickson Tells Aggrieved Aspirants, Mourns Ex-CJN

Chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Dickson, has appealed to aggrieved members of the party to stay to rebuild and reposition it for electoral victory.

Dickson, who is also the governor of Bayelsa State, called on the PDP members to show more understanding, solidarity and a willingness to sacrifice for the general good of the party.

A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Francis Agbo, quoted Dickson as having made the comment yesterday while addressing aspirants of the last national convention of the party held in December, 2017 at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the party in Abuja.

He commended the aspirants for demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice their individual interest for the progress of the party.

He explained that the meeting was designed to thank the PDP members for clinging onto the party especially through “this trying period.”

He said: “This is an opportunity to thank you all for your contributions to the development, sustenance of our party especially at this trying period.

“If we had had this meeting three years ago, this place would have been filled to the brim but since after the unfortunate event where the change came and gave us a terrible change, it seems that even people who profited so much from our party, have gone to the other side and yet people like you, steadfast members of the party like you are still in the PDP.

“Let me use this opportunity to call for more understanding and solidarity by members of our party and greater willingness to sacrifice for the general good, to sacrifice individual ambition, individual interest for the greater good, which is what you people have clearly displayed.

“And I will like to also make a call to our party men now that they are seeing things clearly. People should not cross over to the other side, stay back, strengthen, rebuild and reposition this national platform that we already have.”

Dickson said the meeting was designed to effectively interact with the aspirants to hear their stories and the proffered solutions to the crisis rocking the party.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Government has assured the people that it is capable of tackling any outbreak of Lassa fever if the disease is contracted by anybody in the state.

The state government, which stated that there has not been any case of the disease in the state, said it is prepared to tackle the disease with the creation of an isolation centre at the Niger Delta University, Okolobiri and purchase of enough drugs to treat the disease and protective gears for medical personnel.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Ebitimutula Etebu, who stated this in Yenagoa, also disclosed that the Ministry of Health has stepped up sensitisation campaign in the eight local government areas to ensure the disease is tackled once it is contracted by anyone in the state.

“There is no reported case of Lassa fever in any part of the state but our people need to be conscious of their environment and if there is any incident of the disease, report to the nearest hospital for prompt attention,” he said.

In another development, Dickson has commiserated with Nigerians and the Judiciary on the death of former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Musdapher.

The governor, in a press statement signed by Agbo, described the late chief justice as a great, courageous and patriotic judge who played his role very well to deepen constitutional democracy and Nigeria’s jurisprudence. He prayed God for the repose of Musdapher’s soul.