The Immediate past governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday, slammed Senator Aishatu Dahiru-Binani (Adamawa Central), for describing Balyesa as the smallest state in Nigeria.
Binani had described Balyesa as the smallest state in Nigeria while canvassing support for a bill seeking to establish the Federal Medical Centre in Mubi, Adamawa.
The lawmaker explained that Adamawa state has a total land mass of 506.4km2, a population of 759,045 and nine local government areas.
“This together with the population of Mubi North makes it 2,089,540 people (very much higher than Bayelsa State’s eight local government Areas, with a population of 1,704,515).
“Nonetheless, this historic town has suffered from government neglect in terms of federal presence, especially in the area of tertiary healthcare delivery.”
But annoyed by the statement, Dickson counter her, saying that the size of Bayelsa — the physical landmass and the water bodies, is three times bigger than some states in the country, adding that Binani could have made her submission without a reference to Bayelsa.
“In my senatorial district, it will take me four days to go round. In my local government, Sagbama, it will take me three days to go round.
“I just felt I should rise up to enlighten the sponsor of this bill and by so doing the rest of the country. When people talk about population, they should be careful,” Dickson said.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, cautioned Dickson against inputting improper motives to the debate.
Lawan said, “The discussion is not on the population of Bayelsa or population censors conducted before; we should rather concentrate on the main focus, which is on the establishment of a federal medical centre.”
Dickson nevertheless insisted that “debates and the submissions in this hallowed chamber must be based on justifiable fact”, arguing that Binani referred to population figures which were not verifiable.
He added, “I was only rising up to enlighten, without prejudice to the merits or demerits of the bill, that the premise that she has put forward as a reason or one of the reasons why this bill should be considered is faulty. That should be expunged; it should not form part of it. That is not factual; it is incorrect.”