Dickson inaugurates six-man panel to probe electoral violence

bibing

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

The inauguration, which was performed at the executive council chamber of the Government House has Justice Margaret Akpomiemie as the panel’s chairman.

Other members are Brig. Gen. Bob Ake (retd.), Dr. Victoria Tekena, Mrs. Martha Akpana, Mr. Abraham Lord Ekiamene and Mr. Tamadu Abasi (counsel for the commission).

The ceremony 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.

Dickson said 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 by virtue of that power, “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.”

He said when he took over government, his administration was inundated with reports of various extra-judicial killings,, cult-related murders, executions, high-profile killings on the streets of Yenagoa.

He said his government with the cooperation of the people knew what they did to curb cultism, stressing that ever before his administration took over the mantle of leadership, there was no day that passed without people of Bayelsa counting corpses on the streets of Yenagoa.

The governor added, “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.

Source: Punch