Governor Seriake Dickson, the Governor of Bayelsa State on Wednesday, May 6, 2015 relieved the Sports Commissioner, Ebikirin Dongoli of his duties.
Mere speculations disclose that Dongoli’s sack was due to the fact that he had lost his constituency to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the last general elections into the state assembly.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson, the Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa state government, accented the statement which announced Dongoli’s sack on all major broadcasting stations on Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Be it as it may, the statement failed to explicitly mention the reasons for Dongoli’s sack.
The Governor, Dickson who had earlier on made verbal utterances against ‘betrayal’ during the last elections, was said to be upset with the ex-commissioner for failing to work hard to ensure that the People’s Democratic Part, PDP candidate in his Kolokuma-Opokima constituency defeats the APGA candidate, Ebiye Tarabina who is also Dongoli’s cousin.
The Governor had earlier on sent the ex sports commissioner to his cousin asking Tarabina to drop his ambitions.
Tarabina’s victory was more infuriating to the Governor because it is believed that he was sponsored by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Domestic Affairs, Dr. Waripamovei Dudafa, the man who the wife of President Jonathan had pencilled to succeed Dickson in the 2016 Bayelsa governorship.
The Governor has inaugurated a panel, headed by Deputy Governor John Jonah, to probe sime party leaders who he suspects to have worked against PDP in the last elections.
Dongoli also confirmed that he heard about his sack on radio.
He said he had not committed any offence that could amount to his sack, adding that he had sent a message to Dickson for giving him an oppurtutnity to serve the state.
He confirmed that Tarabina is his cousin but cleared himself on the loss of the PDP at the polls.
Dongoli said ‘I heard the announcement of my sack on the radio, like every other Bayelsan, I have sent a message to the governor, thanking him for giving me the opportunity to serve the state.
‘I beleive it has something to do with the House of Assembly election.
‘The APGA candidate, who won in Kolokuma-Opokuma 2, Tarabina, is my cousin.
‘The Governor sent me to tell him not to contest and i went to him severally to persuade him not to contest but he insisted that he would contest under the platform of APGA.’
