Bayelsa gov dispels rumour of army injecting poisonous substance

GOVERNOR Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has dismissed rumours that the military medical outreach was a ploy to inject a poisonous substance into people’s systems.

Consequently, he has called for cooperation with the Army as they plan to reschedule the outreach next week in the state.

He said the medical outreach carried out by the Army authorities was not to endanger the health and safety of the people.

He said this while receiving a letter of commendation from the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, in Government House, Yenagoa.

Dickson described peddlers of such rumour as wicked, and urged the citizenry not to panic, but rather cooperate with the military in the community support initiative, which he said was designed to impact positively on the people.

Reiterating his administration’s commitment towards sustaining the prevailing peace, security and stability in the state, he assured the Army and other security agencies of greater support in the discharge of their constitutional duties.

He disclosed that his government had donated a large expanse of land for the building of a military barracks in Yenagoa and a Forward Operations Base at the western senatorial district to enhance security.

“I want to use this opportunity to call on community leaders to continue to support the military. We can’t have a Nigerian military coming here to inject people with poisonous substances. That is not the army we have. This is our own army. These are our brothers, friends and fellow Nigerians, who mean well for all of us,” he stated.

Earlier, Buratai, who was represented by Major Gen. Rogers Nicholas, lauded Dickson for the support his administration had been giving to the Army, particularly the provision of land for the building of barracks and Forward Operation Base as well as creating a conducive environment for the Army to tackle insecurity in the state.

Delivering a letter of appreciation from the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Nicholas, who is the Chief of Logistics, Army Headquarters, lauded the people of Bayelsa for their understanding and cooperation and pledged that the Army would redouble its efforts in tackling security challenges in the country.

He intimated the governor of the intention of the Army to carry out its medical outreach programme and donation of educational materials to various communities in the state by next week, as a part of its Operation Crocodile Smile exercise.