We inaugurated transition committee, not probe panel, says Bayelsa gov-elect

Bayelsa State governor-elect, David Lyon, has debunked reports that he wants to probe Governor Seriake Dickson, saying the committee he inaugurated on Wednesday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat in Yenagoa is a transition committee and not a probe panel

In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Gift Ebiki, the governor-elect said the clarification became necessary following misconceptions in some quarters about the committee’s terms of reference.He stressed that the committee headed by a former Acting Governor, Werinipre Seibarugu, was expected to ensure a hitch-free, peaceful and smooth transition.

He said there was nothing in the terms of reference that authorizes the committee to begin probe of the outgoing government as erroneously reported.“We are in a period of transition and our actions and utterances are restricted to smooth transition. The APC transition committee will interface with the committee set up by the outgoing government,” the statement reads.

Quoting the governor-elect while inaugurating the committee, the statement added: “It is a pleasure to be part of this history. We are here today to inaugurate a group of people with common ideas and ideologies as members of our transition committee.

“These are carefully-selected, vibrant leaders of Bayelsa State, who share common faith and aspirations as leadership is upon us now, and expectations are high. Therefore, we cannot afford to disappoint our people. “You are aware that when I received my certificate of return, I clearly stated that we have entered a contract with the people of Bayelsa State.

“This is our first task to prove to our people that the choice they made on November 16, 2019 was not wrong. No doubt, there are many challenges facing us as a people, but the onus now lies on us to bring to bear the solutions that we have for long kept in our hearts.

“It is often said that the true test of a man’s character is when he gets power. It is your own responsibility, not just to find and identify failures of the outgoing administration, but also to proffer possible solutions to tackle economic, security, development, infrastructure and other areas that often put any administration in the negative.

“This is a duty that we must do to regain our people’s confidence. This is a duty that we must discharge with dignity, determination and distinction.”