Cabinet Shake-Up In Bayelsa As Governor Dickson Sacks Commissioner, Adviser

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Tuesday, January 6th, 2015

By Colins Amadi, Yenagoa – Bayelsa state governor Seriake Dickson has fired the commissioner for Local Government Administration, Mrs. Marie Ebikake and redeployed her counterpart in the Ministry of Information and Orientation, Deacon Markson Fefegha.

Governor Seriake Dickson

Also relieved of her position is the Governor’s Special Adviser on Federal Projects, Chief (Mrs.) Remi Kuku.

A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Daniel Iworiso-Markson said the minor cabinet shake up was in furtherance of the governor’s “commitment to deliver more robustly on its administration’s restoration agenda.”

The statement also disclosed that the Chief of Staff of the Government House Didi Walson-Jack has been redeployed back to the Federal Civil Service, “after 3 years of outstanding and meritorious service to the State and the Restoration Government.”

The statement further reads:

“Governor Seriake Dickson has stepped up efforts geared towards re-organizing the machinery of the government.

“To this end, he has undertaken a minor cabinet shake up with the Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Mrs. Marie Ebikake being relieved of her appointment, while her counterpart in the Ministry of Information and Orientation, Deacon Markson Fefegha has been deployed to Government House as the Principal Executive Secretary to the Governor with immediate effect.

“He takes over from Hon. Douye Diri, who resigned and has since emerged as the PDP candidate for the Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal constituency in next month’s House of Representatives election.”

Meanwhile, African Examiner gathered that the minor cabinet shape up may not be unconnected with the rift between Governor Dickson and First Lady, Mrs Patience Dame Jonathan as those sacked are said to be loyalists of the first lady.

A source in Yenagoa told our correspondent that the first lady is now backing the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Domestic Matters, Dr. Weripamowei Dudafagh as possible replacement for Governor Dickson, a development that is being rebuffed by the loyalists of the governor who is just serving his first term.