Bayelsa Guber: Dickson Sets Up Six-Man Panel To Probe Electoral Violence

In order to investigate the violence, mayhem and breach of peace during the governorship election in the state, the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, on Monday, inaugurated a six-man judicial commission of inquiry.

The six-man panel include Justice Margaret Akpomiemie as the panel’s chairman, Brig. Gen. Bob Ake (retd.), Dr. Victoria Tekena, Mrs. Martha Akpana, Mr. Abraham Lord Ekiamene and Mr. Tamadu Abasi (counsel for the commission).

The inaugural ceremony, performed at the executive council chamber of the Government House had the deputy governor, John Jonah, Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Kombowei Benson; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Edmund Allison-Oguru; and members of his cabinet in attendance.

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While inaugurating the panel, Dickson noted that he carried out the exercise by virtue of the powers conferred upon him by Section 2 (1) of the Commission of Inquiry Law, Cap 8 Laws of Bayelsa State of Nigeria 2006.

He said “I hereby constitute and appoint a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the violence, mayhem and grave breach of the peace that occurred in parts of the state on or about the 3rd to 6th of December, 2015.

“This is the first commission of inquiry my government is setting up and that tells everyone the seriousness of the issues that the commission has to deal with.”

According to him, before his administration took over the mantle of leadership, the state was inundated with reports of various extra-judicial killings, cult-related murders, executions, high-profile killings on the streets of Yenagoa, but his government with the cooperation of the people knew how they ensured the violence were curbed.

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“But with the aggressive law enforcement policies we put in place, we were able by the grace of God to reduce all these to the barest minimum. We have reduced cultism to the extent that Bayelsa is one of the safest places to be,” the governor added.

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