By Samuel Oyadongha
YENAGOA—Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, has said that those criticising his administration’s performance would have a change of heart after the  concept of repositioning the state power, water, health, agriculture and education sectors becomes integrated.

According to him, the vital sectors of power and water have been taken care of with the release of N600 million and N300 million respectively for the supply of uninterrupted power and water in the state.

The Governor declared that his administration had done creditably in the last three years even as members of the State Executive Council passed a vote of confidence on him and condemned the recent attack on his person by some irate youths during the visit of President Goodluck Jonathan to the state.

Governor Sylva, who spoke at an interactive session with the Parliament, a gathering of media practitioners, artisans and other professionals, said the criticisms he had received from some persons in the state was due to their failure to see the achievements made by his administration.

He cited four projects namely the 500-bed hospital, the Ayim-Osigwe Fibresima Hotel, the State Library and the Ijaw National Congress, INC,  secretariat building as projects nearing completion.

The governor who said the next four years of the administration would witness the fusion of the numerous foundations for proper development in the state described the last three and half years of his administration as a transition period for proper development.

“We have put in place the best structures and facilities like the Judiciary building and the Sports complex. Look at the Cottage Hospital; by the time we finish the 500-bed hospital, the cottage hospital will be a child’s play compared to it.”

I told you we are not looking at structure with Nigeria standard but international and that is what I am giving you. If you look at the state sectorally, you will see that we have done well.

“People criticize me because they have not seen it coming together. But soon the whole picture will come together. So, you can see we have plans. We don’t just do things like that and follow pressures have not turned Bayelsa into London but I know we have done well.

It is only the people of Bayelsa that can determine whether I continue or not but every time my conscience tells me we have done very well,” he declared.

The governor said his administration decision to embark on water reticulation and large scale agriculture was based on the need to sustain a system where employment generation and maintenance of structures will be encouraged.

“We decided to look at cropping that has comparative advantages to the terrain in the state and has continued to support the rice farming, fish farming and oil palms,” he said adding that with the release of the sum of N300million as the state counterparts on the Peremabiri Rice Farms, the state is expected to become the biggest producer of Rice in Africa.