The ongoing governorship campaign in Bayelsa Atate yesterday took a dramatic turn as the All Progressives Congress (APC), governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, mobilized women and youths of the party to evacuate embarrassing stinking refuse that has taken over Yenagoa metropolis in recent times.
The APC rolled out refuse trucks, caterpillars, earth-moving equipment and their symbolic brooms to carry out the clean-up of the various areas where heaps of refuse has taken prominence in the city.
Party faithful including young ladies, women and youths were seen assisting the operators of the refuse equipment and machines hired for the purpose with their brooms.
With vests adorned with inscription, 'APC Cleans Bayelsa', the party supporters had trooped out with their brooms, buckets, shovels, rakes and other items to clean the state capital which its uncleanliness has been a major embarrassment for the state government for weeks now.
The party faithful were divided into groups to different parts of the metropolis to clear the garbages at strategic locations such as Swali market, Kpansia market, Kpansia Community Secondary School, Opolo market, among others.
However, following the embarrassment caused by the action of the APC supporters, the Bayelsa State Government was said to have quickly mobilized contractors to clear the garbages... lol!
The development saw the APC members and government contactors clearing the heaps of refuse side by side, causing a mild drama for residents of the City, who but cannot help to laugh their hearts out.
Giving insight into what led to the exercise, the Director, Media and Publicity, Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organization, Chief Nathan Egba, lamented that the government had not been able to manage the environmental sanitation situation in the state.
Egba said: “The reason for doing this is simple: everybody living in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, now knows that the government is not able to manage the environmental sanitation situation in the state.
“As a result, epidemics and other diseases are likely to break out. There are instances where such rubbish is piled up in front of schools and market places. The private residence of the deputy governor is suffering similar fate.
“The idea is simple: to help the government clear up the places and to ensure that our people are able to live in epidemic and disease free environment.”
Egba said the exercise, which would be a continuous one, would be replicated in other parts of the state, noting that they had received invitations for assistance from other communities in the state.
He added, “But today, we are focused on Yenagoa because the situation in the capital city is actually an emergency. It is very clear that the Seriake Dickson administration has totally abandoned governance, they are now focusing on how to win election, which of course they know they cannot win.
“So, as a party coming into power, we do not need to wait until we are officially elected into office. We believe that this kind of thing we can start doing while waiting for the election and our swearing in day.”
However, Dickson campaign team, Restoration Campaign Organization, accused the APC of being responsible for the heaps of refuse in Yenagoa.
While carpeting the APC for engaging in the flash sanitation, RCDO described the exercise as “the deceitful style of campaign” by the opposition.