Dickson signs N42.2bn supplementary budget

Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson
| credits: transformationwatch.com

A few days to the end of 2013, Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday signed a supplementary budget of N42.2bn approved by the state House of Assembly.

Dickson, who lauded the lawmakers for their cooperation, also warned the youth in the state against political hooliganism in the 2015 elections.

He said the 2014 appropriation bill would be presented to the House next week.

The governor expressed optimism that the lawmakers would give the proposed bill a speedy passage to enable his administration to actualise its developmental programmes.

Speaker, BSHA, Mr. Kombowei Benson, while presenting the supplementary bill for assent, said it consisted of N13.642bn recurrent expenditure and N28.52bn capital expenditure.

In a related development, Dickson warned youths in the state against “being used as canon fodders to foment trouble by selfish politicians.”

He advised the youth to shun politics and take their education seriously.

The governor who gave the advice at Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, during his ‘thank you tour’, said the era of bloodletting and political brigandage was over.

He directed the youth’ attention to various ongoing youth empowerment programmes initiated by his administration, adding that the initiatives were designed to sustain the peace in the state.

Dickson warned politicians against playing politics with the lives of the people.

He said it was high time people learnt to play politics of development and restoration.

He said, “Any politician who wants to use you to perpetrate political violence and hooliganism because his/her small ambition, let him do so by setting you up in businesses, so that you can live a responsible life even after politics.”

He commended the people of the area for their support, especially in cooperating with government to maintain the peace and security.

While assuring them of government’s assistance in providing more basic amenities to increase the quality of lives in the area, the governor presented N30m empowerment fund to the women in the council.