BAYELSA GOV, PATIENCE JONATHAN’S COLD WAR DEEPENS, AS FIRST LADY’S LOYALISTS SACKED

The cold war between the Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson and the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan deepens, as the governor sacked two of his female appointees who are believed to be the First Lady’s loyalists.
The affected loyalists are Mrs. Marie Ebikake, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chief Remi Kuku, the Special Adviser on Federal Government Projects, over alleged divided loyalty.
Mrs. Ebikake and Chief Kuku were members of the Governor Seriake Dickson administration that participated in the reception welcoming Dame Jonathan to Otuoke Community ahead of last weekend’s wedding ceremony of the President’s foster daughter, Miss. Inebai Paul and Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi at Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the duo of Ebikake and Kuku allegedly shunned a blanket order asking all political appointees to shun the Nigeria First Lady due to a similar rebuff extended to the governor and his wife, Dr. Rachel Dickson.
Mrs. Ebikake and Chief Kuku were members of the Governor Seriake Dickson administration that participated in the reception welcoming Dame Jonathan to Otuoke Community ahead of last weekend’s wedding ceremony of the President’s foster daughter, Miss. Inebai Paul and Dr. Simeon Onyemaechi at Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the duo of Ebikake and Kuku allegedly shunned a blanket order asking all political appointees to shun the Nigeria First Lady due to a similar rebuff extended to the governor and his wife, Dr. Rachel Dickson.
The state government, in a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Daniel Markson-Iworiso, did not give reason for the sack of Ebikake and Kuku but warned youths and women in the state of the presence of politicians out to destabilise the state.
It was further gathered that the venue of the traditional wedding ceremony of the foster daughter of the President was turned into a battleground by women loyal to Mrs. Jonathan and Governor Dickson.
However, Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and dignitaries in Otuoke Community for the wedding showed signs of worry over the development.
A check revealed that during the last Friday’s arrival of the President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to Otuoke community in a Presidential Helicopter, the women under the aegis of the Women for Change Initiative (WCI) controlled by Dame Jonathan engaged in loud singing of praises of their mentor and reportedly threw painful banter against the administration of Governor Dickson.
But the women of the state, mobilised in huge numbers, stormed Otuoke Community with drums and large banners, singing in favour of Governor Dickson and blocked out the women of WCI.
Some of the women, attached to Women for Change Initiative engaged in fisticuff and were nearly beaten up.
An aide of the governor, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said: “The scene was tensed. The women hired by the Women for Change Initiative were insulting the governor. But the loyal women of Bayelsa put up a show affirming their support for the state governor.”
It would be recalled that the cold war between Dame Patience and Governor Dickson blew open in October 2014 following her resignation as a Permanent Secretary in the Bayelsa State Civil Service.