Many things are happening in Bayelsa State. Senator Douye Diri is a tall man. But he appears to be walking taller than his height these days. His achievements in different sectors inform the confidence he exudes. And he showed it when Vanguard visited his office to present their letter informing him of the award for good governance that the newspaper will bestow on him on April 11, 2025.
His strides in healthcare, infrastructure, sports and most importantly, security are tremendous. Bayelsa that was the centre of violence in the Niger Delta many years ago is now very peaceful, thanks to Douye Diri’s efforts. Right now, the governor is expanding Yenagoa, building new city in the city. He is developing the state and making many wonder where he is drawing the resources from.
He is a product of the Ijaw struggle and former Organising Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) who appreciates the yearnings of the people for development.
The Vanguard team was led by Saturday Editor, Onochie Anibeze who was accompanied by the Sunday Editor Wale Akionla. Sam Oyadongha was there, too. They asked Diri how he was coping and funding the many projects he has embarked on that won him the award.
“That is the question some people are asking,” he retorted, smiling. “They are telling me that ‘we have not seen you borrowing money and then you are doing projects of N50bn, and above, how are you getting the money?’ Well, we are just being prudent with resources.
13 percent derivation, 87 percent deprivation
“The ones that come in to us we manage them. We are not even an economically viable state as to say our IGR is high. That is why when the statistics of poor states come out they say Bayelsa State is among the states that cannot survive without federal allocation. I challenge them to bring back our money and see whether we will not survive. You are collecting our money from us and then giving us 13 percent. The 87 per cent you are collecting actually belongs to Bayelsa,” Diri said of Federal Government’s allocation to an oil producing state where the country earns billions of dollars but allocates just a little.
Said he: “So, if you want to bring those statistics, then let everybody control their resources, so that at the end of the day you will know which state cannot survive without federal allocation. Right now you have disarmed us and then you are the same people bringing statistics of states that cannot survive. That is an insult to the people.
“We just try to live within our means for now. In fact, I will say that we’re doing well now is by God’s grace because, even me, sometimes I don’t know how we manage these resources to the point that I will go to the projects sites and ask the contractors how much are we owing you. They will say no, government is not owing us a dime. That’s a milestone.
“Most of these roads we are doing are federal government roads like the Nembe/Brass roads and the road to the headquarters of Southern Ijaw . It took sixty years and nobody talked about them. We have not gotten refunds from the federal government but this morning I spoke with the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, to come and do ground breaking for the Ekeremor /Agge Road. They are yet to give us refunds for Sagbama/Ekeremor Road. He said I should give him some time so that he will give me a date.”
Earlier, Anibeze listed purposeful leadership, security and infrastructure development, among other reasons for his selection, noting that the philosophy behind Vanguard award is to recognize excellence.
He said: “This award cannot be bought, it was not a decision we took lightly, and in Vanguard Newspaper nominations follow a rigorous process to reach a conclusion.
“We are impressed by your administration’s achievements in infrastructure development, security, healthcare, education and sports development as well as your commitment to completing legacy projects and improving the lives of Bayelsans.”
Hitting the Atlantic on three fronts
Interestingly, the state is hitting the Atlantic through three fronts with ongoing road constructions. The governor inherited uncompleted key projects from past administrations. He reasoned that state resources had been spent on such projects and that it was improper to abandon them.
Today, many of these big ticket projects including the Sagbama-Ekeremor road, the 22 km Elebele-Igbogene Ring Road and Isaac Boro Road (second phase) have been completed while work on the 38km Yenagoa-Oporoma Road has reached Angiama where a bridge is being constructed across the River Nun and has attained 80 percent completion. The Oporoma stretch and a spur linking Otuan are in progress.
There is also the New Yenagoa City being developed on a vast swathe of swamp at Onopa where massive sand filling is ongoing. The area which boosts the network of dual carriage roads is designed to accelerate planned housing development that will boast of essential amenities. Already, the new Commissioners and Legislators’ quarters at the new city have been completed.
Politics without bitterness
That the state today enjoys an endearing atmosphere of peace is not happenstance but because he has kept faith with his promise to engender reconciliation and healing across the land. For the first in the history of the state hitherto known as the hot bed of youth unrest, members of the opposition are serving in the PDP led estate executive council. Today Bayelsa could be described as an oasis of peace because of the security architecture put in place by the government in collaboration with the security agencies.
On the Vanguard award, the governor said though newspaper awards in the country have been bastardized lately, he lauded Vanguard’s thoroughness for its selection process.
His words: “The truth is that most of these awards have been bastardized, the Vanguard award delights us. We didn’t approach you and you just told us how rigourous the selection process is. It is commendable.
Vanguard, the voice of Niger Delta
“I want to believe your words and of course your newspaper is one champions the cause of Niger Delta. If we have anything, it is you that we will come to. There is no doubt about that. I don’t know of any other newspaper that carries stories about the Niger Delta more than Vanguard Newspapers. Tell Uncle Sam that he is doing so well and his paper is doing so well.
“We want you guys to up the game, I mean a journalist is one person that everybody should be afraid of because if you don’t do the right thing the journalist will certainly come for you and once in a while for those who do the right thing you recognize them, it encourages us.
“So, no matter what people say there are those who are still seeing what we are doing. We feel very encouraged with this award. God willing we will officially also communicate to you the way you have done, to say we accept the award; we will be there at the award night.
So, please try and also encourage the other outlets (newspapers). Let them not give out awards indiscriminately. Sometimes, people ask, what has this governor done that merits this type of award?
That was why the last time I hosted the editors I instructed that they should be taken round so as to see things for themselves. A lot of people see things in the newspaper that are not there.”
