By Carl Seiyaibo

When the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, was inaugurated for a second tern in office on Wednesday, he used the occasion to rededicate himself to serving the people more assiduously than he did in his first four years, during which accolades and encomium were poured on him for changing the narrative of the state. To show where he is heading, he pledged to implement a 10-year comprehensive economic plan for the development of the state.

In his inauguration speech, Diri highlighted the achievements of his administration in his first tenure in various sectors, saying his second term would focus on addressing the challenge of the lack of access to potable water by residents of the state. He said, “With this vision in mind, we have developed a comprehensive and ambitious 10-year economic plan for the state. This plan outlines our strategies and initiatives to diversify and strengthen our economy, create jobs, attract investments, and improve the standard of living for all Bayelsans.

“To kick-start the implementation of this economic plan and to engage stakeholders, we are excited to announce the upcoming Bayelsa State Economic Development Summit in Yenagoa, the state capital. This summit will serve as a platform for sharing ideas, discussing opportunities, and forging partnerships to accelerate the economic growth of our state. We shall focus attention on areas with comparative advantage, including agriculture, rice, cassava and oil palm production, seeking new partnerships and investors along the way.”
He added that in his second tenure, citizens of the state would have a more active and direct role in shaping and participating in the economy, stressing that “from small business owners and entrepreneurs to industry leaders and investors, everyone has a part to play in driving economic growth and prosperity.” He called for unity and togetherness towards overcoming obstacles, achieving great feat and building a prosperous, inclusive and resilient Bayelsa State.

Diri, alongside his deputy, Lawrence Ehwrudjakpo, took fresh oaths of office and allegiance administered by the state Chief Judge, Justice Matilda Ayemieye, inside the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa. Present at the inauguration were the Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima; his Liberian counterpart, Jeremiah Kounang; former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience.
Also present were the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara; ex-National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu; former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson; and Senator Ben Murray-Bruce.

Other dignitaries included Governors Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Umaru Bago (Niger), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa). Diri and his deputy won reelection on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November 11, 2023 governorship poll. They received their Certificates of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission on November 17, last year.
Recalling his inaugural address to the people of the state on February 14, 2020, Governor Diri did not mince words in outlining the responsibilities and tasks ahead of him. He hit the ground running by seizing the occasion to unfold his vision, with a central message of governance revolving around the need for “love, unity, peace and prosperity”. He summarized by stating that his performance and developmental strides would be defined by peaceful co-existence. He therefore enjoined the people of the state to think of the peace and prosperity of their fellow brothers and sisters irrespective of political affiliations. This, he has made his watchword.

During his first term, he prioritized a stable and prosperous management of the state’s economy through a transparent, accountable, credible, prudent and the resourceful application of the state’s scarce resources.
He used the resources of the state to pull it out of the unenviable status of educationally disadvantaged state. Apart from embarking on massive rehabilitation of primary and higher schools across the state, the government also built one technical college in each of the eight local government areas of the state. These technical colleges are essentially to promote education that will entrench the values of self-reliance and prosperity through the acquisition of technical skills for the good of the state.

This is in addition to improving on the infrastructure of tertiary institutions across the state, which culminated in the accreditation of several courses at the state-owned Niger Delta University, School of Nursing, College of Education and the State Polytechnic.It is heart-warming to note that the huge investment in the education sector is yielding results, as statistical records indicated that among the six states in the South-South geographical region of Nigeria, Bayelsa has the lowest number of out of-school children.

Moreover, infrastructure development has also received great attention, as the governor has proven himself to be a worthy ambassador in the political school of infrastructure development. Shortly after his inauguration, Diri went personally round the state to conduct an audit on projects initiated, work in progress and other stages of construction by his predecessors. In earnest, he mobilised contractors to site, the completion of the first phase of the New Gloryland Drive which runs from the gateway at Igbogene through Onopa to Government House was one of such inherited projects. The outer ring-road connecting Opolo-Elebele to the Igbogene gateway, initiated by the administration of Senator Seriake Dickson and completed by the Diri administration has also reduced traffic problems and enhanced the socio-economic lives of Bayelsans.
Besides, the age-long bridge linking the ancient towns of Bassambiri-Nembe and Ogbolomabiri-Nembe, popularly called “Unity bridge” which construction stopped years ago has been completed. While the Elebele bridge, a major link which collapsed two years before he took over, has been completed. Another people-oriented project which the administration of Diri will be remembered for is his commitment and resolve to link up the hinterlands of the riverine communities by roads. Thus, the continual construction of three roads in the three senatorial districts which he partly inherited from his predecessors, which include Yenagoa to Oporoma-Ukubie, the Sagbama-Ekeremor Road and the Nembe-Brass Road. These are signature projects that will not only enhance the socio-economic lives of the rural dwellers, but will also curtail the twin problems of sea piracy and rural-urban drift.
The completion of the Bayelsa International Airport which was in high debate of cost and usefulness has finally repositioned the state’s economic and transportation windows. The completion of the Airport comes with a lot of economic benefits and as well have placed Bayelsa in the world map of flight operations.
This is in addition to the construction of major highway from the airport to Igbedi community in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area of the state, which until now was accessible only by river craft. This has changed the socio-economic lives of the people for good.
The Sen. Douye Diri four years report card cannot be complete without making reference to the huge investment made in the area of security. The Diri administration which enjoys the appellation of a “prosperity government” appreciates the fact that there is a strong nexus between security and development. In this regard, he took several bold initiatives to confront the security challenges in the state. Governor Diri first inaugurated a committee to promote community policing, by recruiting young men and women who were trained in the art of intelligence gathering to work with the state-owned vigilante outfit. It was set up basically to complement the role of the conventional police force and other security agencies with the broad spectrum towards nipping in the bud the security concerns in the state.
So, it is not out of place to state the obvious, that the four-year first tenure was dedicated to reconstruction and redefining the state’s development narratives. Apart from the construction of over 70 internal roads, there is no government in the history of Bayelsa that has touched the lives of the rural dwellers as much as the Diri government has done, ranging from road construction, capacity building, building and rehabilitation of schools to the empowerment of the vulnerable ones. The first tenure was captivating with clear vision of navigating the ship of the state to an anchor without betraying the confidence the people have reposed in him.
While government is a continuum, His Excellency is urged to also focus his infrastructural development periscope to the deployment drones and circuit cameras for security control in the state. Also, the abandoned 18 storey tower hotel, Galleria Viewing Centre, the five-star hotels along Swali Road, the abandoned peace park, the abandoned shopping mall should be looked into to avoid the resources already invested becoming a waste. The governor should see the importance of construction of massive drainages from Ovom to Igbogene to control rain overflows in the state capital. In furtherance, his excellency should pay more attention in linking the Mbiama-Yenagoa Road across the canal with minimum of five bridges to expand the infrastructural development of the state capital for accessibility and decongestion. In summary, His Excellency should come up with a development that will stand out Bayelsa State among other states comparatively and become a referral point. It could be in the area of health village, industry park, information technology hub, steady power supply, sustained fuel supply, potable water supply powered by dam, etc. This will make Bayelsa State a source of investment destination.
There is no doubt even ardent critics of the Diri administration have conceded the fact that the government has done well and deserves a pat on the back. As we take stock of his performance in the last four years, we look forward to brighter days in Bayelsa and for Bayelsans.

• Carl Seiyaibo (PhD), M. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria wrote in from Yenagoa .