After two years, Diri reels out achievements in office

Right from 1996 when Bayelsa State was created till the present government, the state has never been so peaceful the way it is now. Nobody knows how he has been doing it but Bayelsa State has been so peaceful right from the time he took over the mantle of leadership on February 14, 2020. His administration will be two years on February 14, 2022, and the people of the state sleep with their two eyes closed except occasionally a few pockets of criminality sometimes which is very common just like in any other state.

He is Governor Douye Diri, the man at the helm of affairs of prosperity government which came into existence during a world pandemic called coronavirus (COVID-19), which held the entire world hostage but yet the prosperity governor was able to keep the state intact even when other states were shaking and locking down, the governor made sure that he did his with a human face. That alone should be counted as one of his achievements because the effect of that lockdown didn’t tell much on Bayelsans the way it did in other states.

When other states like some neighbouring states forced their residents to stay indoors then, Bayelsa residents were made to at least move around within the metropolis with their face masks and observe all the necessary protocols at least to get food to eat as they stayed at home.

Aside from that Governor Diri’s administration has achieved a lot within two years despite the paucity of funds. A man of few words, he with his crew members have touched almost all the sectors of the state be it education, health, infrastructure, information, child development, women empowerment, youth development among other sectors. In the area of education which is the bedrock of every society the Diri led administration has not relented as it prioritised the accreditation of programmes in all the institutions.

The Commissioner for Education, Gentle Emalah, had in a briefing told journalists that it was imperative for the educational focus to shift to more to technical and vocational education and training (TVET), science, technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and other modern approaches at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels to ensure the provision and sustenance of the quality of education to that meets the global standards. Although in the process of putting an aesthetic touch on the city by demolishing some illegal structures many Bayelsans businesses were really affected in the state like in the Swali market and Tombia roundabout it cannot take away the fact that the governor has made the city a beautiful place to behold. In the area of security also, the Diri led administration has done something as it has been having it head-on with the criminals and phone snatches both at Tombia roundabout and at Swali.

This is being achieved under the Doubiye Alagba-led Bayelsa vigilante service which has made the state unbearable for the criminals. He also made available 50 operational vehicles and motorcycles to operation doo akpo to fight crime and instil peace and order in the state. Yes to show that he doesn’t mix politics with governance especially at a given time, he has once told any of his political appointees that wants to vie for any political position as 2023 approaches to resign. Speaking during the state executive council meeting at the Govern-ment House, Yenagoa, Governor Diri explained that such ambition was legitimate but it should not be at the expense of effective service delivery of his administration. A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that although 2022 is a political year, governance will not be sacrificed on the altar of politics.

He noted that the administration still had time to deliver on its promises before the next governorship election in late 2023. But that cabinet members eyeing other elective offices in the polls in February or March next year must not combine politics with governance, stressing that the development of the state should supersede politics.

He added: “Let me warn that any member of the state executive council that has one political ambition or the other to honourably resign. Any member of the cabinet that has such ambition should please send your resignation letter to the secretary to the state government. “It is legitimate for anyone to have ambition but we are one party, we are one government. Let not anyone’s ambition derail our governance and government.

Just as we cannot stop anyone from having ambition, let no one stop the government from functioning.” A man of not too many words who believes that it is better for people to see what the administration is doing than blowing their trumpet, he has once said that under his administration, peace had come to stay in the state and that the days when people resort to violence to settle differences were over. Speaking about his achievements, Diri said within two years in the saddle, his administration had changed the landscape through various projects from road infrastructure, educational and health structures to lighting up of the major roads and building of a mega-media complex among numerous other projects.

Reeling out his scorecard in one of the outings to inspect the projects, the governor explained “Within this short period, our scorecard is on the streets. We have constructed roads. There are between 15 and 20 concrete roads constructed in Yenagoa. We are taking on a big-ticket road project from the ecumenical centre at Igbogene to the Tombia roundabout and later to the government house.

We are taking on the Yenagoa to Oporoma road and by February 14, we will drive from Yenagoa to Angiama. According to a statement signed by Alabrah at the end of one of his inspections, the governor explained: “We are taking on the other senatorial road from Sagbama to Ekeremor in Bayelsa West. “Our desire is that by February, we will drive on a tarred road to Aleibiri. Before our government completes its first four years, we will drive on a tarred road to Ekereomor.

“We have taken one of our signature projects because we see the media as very important. We are building one of the biggest media complexes in Nigeria today and before February 14, it will be commissioned. “In terms of sports and youth empowerment, your government has done so much that at the last sports festival, for the first time, Bayelsa came third in Nigeria. Bayelsa last year won the Federation Cup called the AITEO Cup. “Your government is also very concerned about the other senatorial road in Bayelsa east senatorial district which has been on the drawing board for decades.

“We have resolved that since it is a federal government road if nothing is done this year, your government will start its construction. “Also, we are poised to commission the Nembe unity bridge by February 14. The collapsed Elebele bridge started and completed by your government will be commissioned also on February 14.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the central senatorial district road is designed to cover a length of approximately 38km, consisting of seven major bridges spanning over the River Nun to Oporoma meanwhile, the west senatorial district road is designed to be developed in 2 phases, with phase one linking Yenagoa to Ogobiri-Toruebeni and phase two linking Toruebeni to Agge.

“The first phase of the road project, which covers about 6.1km will commence at Ogobiri and slope eastwards towards Toruebeni, while the second phase will cover about 82.9km and will commence at Toruebeni and move northward towards Aleibiri. The road will consist of about 6 bridges with a cumulative length of about 180 metres.” Also speaking to journalists after the inspection, the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei confirming what the governor had explained disclosed that between 20 and 30 projects in various sectors would be ready for inauguration.

Teibowei said the contractors have been mobilised and mandated to complete the projects within a specific time in readiness for their commissioning. He said: “Between 20 and 30 projects should be ready not only in the ministry of Works and Infrastructure but also in education, health, agriculture and other sectors.

“So as February 14, 2022 approaches, the Diri led prosperity government will be commissioning no fewer than 20 road, educational, health, media and agricultural projects and others during the second anniversary in office.” The projects to be inaugurated, according to a statement made available Alabrah include the Yenagoa- Oporoma road, Bayelsa State mega-media complex for radio Bayelsa, Niger Delta television and the new waves newspaper corporation. Others are the Igbedi road, glory drive road, Bayelsa Transport Terminal at Igbogene, Phase one of the Igbogene/AIT ring road, the Elebele bridge, the Onopa bridge and its access roads.

The projects that will be commissioned include those inherited from the past administration and completed in the last year and others initiated by Diri’s government during the same period. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is said to be expected to flag off a bridge project across River Nun at Angiama linking Oporoma, headquarters of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area But in as much as he has achieved some feats, it is not yet Uhuru for his prosperity government as some areas still need to be touched for instance there is no pipe-borne water from the state government as residents have resorted to digging boreholes while others have resorted to buying from aboki. Also, a lot needs to be done in the area of tourism as many countries are making huge fortunes from that sector and Bayelsa State has a lot of tourist sites. In recent times, the light situation has been a thing of worry as almost all the parts of the state are in darkness at the time of filling in this report. There are, however, strong indications that before his first tenure rounds up, most of these challenges would be tackled.