By Osaro Okhomina
Predictably, the last few months, after taking oath of office on the 14th of February, 2024 , have been impactful for the people and the government of Bayelsa State under Governor Douye Diri.
In the six months, instead of allowing distractions, Gov. Diri has set in motions machineries to consolidate and hit the ground running to fulfil promises made to the people of the state.
While known detractors moved to the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to overturn the mandate of the people, the prosperity administration was busy achieving new firsts and breaking news grounds.
For many of Governor’s followers and loyalists, the last few months have been filled with excitements as the prosperity government focussed on more works to completing ongoing road projects and other infrastructures.
Already, the prosperity administration has intensified works on the new Legislators’ and Commissioners’ quarters and the adjourning road networks.
At the Nembe-Brass road, the Stone base on 5.2 kilometer, first bridge work in progress with sand-cement stabilisation at kilometre 6.5 and sand filling at kilometre 7.5.
The administration has also commenced the construction of the Glory Drive phase 3 with the clearing, removal of unsuitable materials/top soil and sand filling going on simultaneously. The road is to link the New Yenagoa City at Onopa with a spur and bridge to link Imgbi Road, Amarata.
Gov. Diri, as promised during the campaigns, has also started implemented the “Bayelsa First” belief in the composition of his cabinet.
He has embraced members of the opposition family into the prosperity administration.These appointments, have endeared him and his prosperity family to the people of the state.
He has even gone ahead to assure all stakeholders of the readiness to consider them for more appointments and empowerments.
Aside from projects being executed, the seed sown by the Gov. Douye Diri in the first term is now yielding appreciable fruits. Like the popular saying, “it is reward for good and hard work”!
From unsolicited recognition at home by some credible Nigerian tabloids for top performance during the first term, the last few months have been filled with recognitions as the “Icon of Unity and Social Justice” by the Ijaw National Congress of the Americas in Houston, Texas.
Diri also bagged the prestigious Face of Africa Leadership award as the “People’s Governor of the year” by the Triangle Media International in partnership with the Face of Africa Leadership in London, United Kingdom.
Already the recognition is also being translated into the campaign for foreign and local investments into the state.
Rounds of visits, engagements and interactions with known Nigerian Business moguls and Investors at home and abroad have been made by Gov. Diri which has placed Bayelsa on the business map as choice destination for investment opportunities.
Lately, invitations to Bayelsa State are being extended by Foreign Countries and return visits made to Yenagoa by High Commissioners, Ambassadors and representatives of international organisations and Business Groups, is laying template for solid and genuine investments in Oil, Gas, Education and infrastructures.
Development advocates and progressive Bayelsans are already receiving with warmth successes being shown by the traffic of investment and collaborative visits from foreign nations and businesses.
According to the former US Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell ” Attracting this money isn’t easy. Capital is a coward. It flees from corruption and bad policies, conflict and unpredictability. It shuns ignorance, disease and illiteracy. Capital goes where it is welcomed and where investors can be confident of a return on the resources they have put at risk. It goes to countries where women can work, children can read, and entrepreneurs can dream. “
Under the prosperity administration of Governor Douye Diri, Bayelsa has become that choice destination where security of lives and property s secured, infrastructures that open the state to hidden wealth in the East and Central district of the State is being opened with massive infrastructural development across the three Senatorial Districts.
The Prosperity government has prioritized road projects linking up several riverine communities.
This was part of Gov. Diri promise while taking oath for second term in office. According to him, ” it is the strong belief of this Prosperity Government that our citizens should have a more active and direct role in shaping and participating in the economy”
While celebrating the recognitions, Bayelsans were once again thrown into the victorious mood with defeat of the various opposition parties at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja.
Gov. Diri floored Kalango Stanley Davies of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Engr. Udengs Eradiri of the Labour party and Micah Akeems of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) at both the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court.
The three petitions were dismissed for lacking in merit and mere waste of precious time of the Lower and Upper courts.
The Justice Adekunle Adeleye-led three-member tribunal also in its ruling affirmed the re-election of Governor Diri in the November 11, 2023 election in the state and dismissed the petition filed by Chief Timipre Sylva and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on grounds of lacking merit.
Responding to the victories, Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri dedicated his victory at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal to people of the state, declaring that it will spur him to serve the state better in his second term.
Gov. Diri, while speaking with newsmen after the ruling, said the petition was a “needless distraction, noting that by the judgement, the judiciary has again proven that it remained the last hope for the common man.
He said: “Once again, l use this opportunity to thank my people of Bayelsa State who graciously and freely gave me this mandate. lt is actually not my victory but it is for the people of Bayelsa.
“As l always pledge, our administration is people-focused and people-oriented. So this will again give us a better latitude to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people. ”
He also described the judgment as very sound and one of the best that had been delivered in such election petition matters, and that there was still hope for the country.
“Matters like these are mere distractions in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people, particularly against the backdrop that we had an election that was adjudged to be one of the freest and the fairest”
“And yet we have been distracted over this period. I want to let Bayelsa people know that we are still for you and will continue to work for you and walk with you until the final day of our administration.”
Politicians from the Opposition, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the ruling Party,the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) showered encomiums on the Judiciary and urged those involved in the petitions to refrain from further litigation in the interest of the State.
A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Former Member of the Federal House of Representative,Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency, Hon. Israel Sunny-Goli congratulated Governor Douye Diri over his victory at the Governorship election petition tribunal.
According to Hon. Sunny-Goli, the victory is a reaffirmation of the trust reposed on you, by the people of Bayelsa State, who defied all odds to renew your mandate to pilot the affairs of the State for another four years.
He also urged the Governorship candidate of the APC and his former Principal to shun further litigation and take a cue from his decision in 2023 where he lost the seat of the Federal House of Representative and refused to seek further litigation in the interest of the state.
Also Ex-Bayelsa Assembly Chief Whip, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite described the victory of the tribunal as that of good over evil.
According to Obuebite, the victory at the tribunal is well deserved, insisting that justice has been served.
Osaro Okhomina writes from Yenagoa,Bayelsa State