The Bayelsa State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, on Tuesday mobilised women and youths of the party to evacuate refuse in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital.

APC rolled out refuse trucks, and other earth-moving equipment to carry out clean-up of the various areas where heaps of refuse were had overtaken.

The party followers, dressed in vests with inscription, ‘APC cleans Bayelsa’, had trooped out with their brooms, buckets, shovels, rakes and other items to clean the state capital.

The party followers were grouped and sent to different parts of the metropolis to clear the garbage heaps at strategic locations such as Swali market, Kpansia market, Kpansia Community Secondary School, Opolo market, among others.

But following the development and in a desperate bid to avoid embarrassment, the Bayelsa State Government was said to have quickly mobilised contractors to clear the garbage.

The development saw the APC members and government contactors clearing the heaps of refuse side by side and left the state capital in a cleaner shape.

Speaking on the exercise, the Director, Media and Publicity, Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organisation, Chief Nathan Egba, lamented that the government had abdicated its role and unable to manage the environmental sanitation across Bayelsa.

This is just as the Dickson campaign team, accused the APC of being responsible for the heaps of refuse in Yenagoa.

The PDP criticised the APC for engaging in the sanitation, describing the exercise as “the deceitful style of campaign” by the opposition.

But Egba retorted: “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.”

According to Egba, the exercise would be a continuous one, and would be replicated in other parts of the state, noting that they had received invitations for assistance from other communities in the state.

“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 focused 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,” Egba said.

Reacting to the development, Dickson's campaign team berated the APC to look for other means of campaign.

The Dickson campaign group advised Bayelsa people and other residents of the state to be wary of the antics of the APC members “who are desperate to grab power through the back door by advancing various dubious means.”

•Photo shows Timipre Sylva.