A brighter Nigeria beckons, Sylva tells Nigerians  Posted Sat Dec 31,2011

 
Sylva

Rather than being despondent, Nigerians should look forward to a brighter country, this new year, Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has said. The governor in his New Year message while acknowledging some challenges in the past year both in the state and in some parts of the country, urged   citizens to “look forward to a brighter country, where peace, prosperity and security would reign.

“Let us hope for an end to the senseless fratricidal and sectarian conflicts that can only degrade our humanity and push us further down the abyss of poverty and underdevelopment, when we ought to be marching ahead with the rest of the world,” he advised.

On the successes recorded by his administration in the immediate past year, the governor affirmed that   “we have done a lot in the areas of health, education,agriculture, power, commerce and industry.

“What remains is for us to tie up all these into a coordinative whole that would usher in the modern state of our dream. So that the work of the administration in the past four years will be manifest. This work of coordination and consolidation will be our focus in the New Year.”

Speaking on the political situation  in the state, Sylva explained that since the  past year was the eve of  elections,  “it is only natural ,there were disagreements in the process of agreeing on who should lead us.”

He however, lamented that  “some players took the political bickering too far, often jettisoning decency and the rule of law. In so doing, they created tension and anxiety in the polity.

“For me, the crisis we are dealing with is normal in our kind of society. What is important is not the disagreements, but how as a people we view our state and the direction we want it to go in the future,” the governor further stated. He assured that  the  forth coming election  will mark a major turning point in the state as it will usher in a leadership that will consolidate the gains of the past four years.

“There are strong reasons to believe that 2012 presents  us a new zeal to build on the foundation which  this administration has laid,” he stated Sylva thanked the people of the state for being steadfast and patriotic despite provocations “from our brothers and sisters  who do not  even live in the state, stressing “ the people of Bayelsa State need to realize that they alone can choose  their own leaders”.

On the activities of terrorists in certain parts of the country, and the growing temptation among the citizens to descend into tit-for-tat hostilities, the governor cautioned against any reprisal action.

“As a people well enlightened by faith, tradition, and education, I appeal to every resident of Bayelsa State to remain calm, more so in the spirit of the New Year, and trust the effort of the Federal Government to resolve the issues,” Sylva pleaded.