Bayelsa @ 29: The Untold Story Of The Unsung Hero 

HON WISDOM ONIEKPAR IKULI


Today is one of the most significant days in the history of our great country and Bayelsa state in particular.

It is exactly 65 years ago that the Union Jack which is the Flag of the United Kingdom was lowered, while the Nigerian Flag was raised to the high heavens to symbolize freedom, hope and also herald a New Dawn. On the other hand, Bayelsa State was created on same day 29years ago by General Sani Abacha, Nigeria’s 7th Military Head of State.

What we have today as the Nigerian state actually started at Akassa in present day Brass Local Government Area after the infamous “Akassa Raid of 1895”, but it took 101years for the same area to be given a real political identity, with the creation of the only homogenous Ijaw state.

It is no gain saying that successive administrations since inception have contributed their quota in the building of Bayelsa ststate. And it is pertinent to say that this is a great area that played very strategic roles during the legitimate trade era and transatlantic slave era. This same area was divinely made the cradle of crude oil and gas wealth in the whole of West Africa.

Despite the fact that Bayelsa state is the cradle of crude oil and gas, the state was designated as a civil service state due to absence of industries.

Besides the abundance of crude oil and gas, Bayelsa also has the longest coastline in the country that measures well over 203 kilometers. The sand in Bayelsa is one of the best and it is most suitable for manufacturing of glasses and ceramics.

Sadly, the absence of road network to link and access the abundant natural resources in the Ocean and Seas especially at Brass, Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor LGAs deny Bayelsans immeasurable wealth and revenue.

The famous Nembe-Brass road and the Yenagoa-Angiama-Otuan-Oporoma road were conceptualized in the 60s. Sadly, they were reduced to political, audio roads that only existed in budget and political history books until Gov. Douye Diri took the courageous step to actualize them.

Presently, the whole of Bayelsa state have been transformed to construction site with legacy and signature projects everywhere.

Many years ago, concrete rigid pavement roads and even some with asphalt that are less than 1kilometre were counted and celebrated as major achievements. But under the ASSURED Prosperity administration, such roads and projects are numerous but they are not counter or celebrated as key projects even though they are necessary in some areas.

Gov. Douye Diri is very deliberate about all his projects that are almost too numerous to mention. But it is worthy to highlight some like the Nembe-Brass road, Yenagoa-Angiama-Otuan-Oporoma road, Angiama-Enewari road, Akaba-Ogu-Okodi road, Glory Drive phases 2 and 3, New Yenagoa City, the many bridges that he built along the Sagbama-Ekeremor road and today, vehicles now drive straight to Aleibiri and other towns and villages in Ekeremor. The 9-storey State Secretariat, the 25,000 Seater FIFA Standard Stadium, etc are all worthy of mention.

In the area of Education, the reintroduction of Boarding School, school feeding programmes, building and equipping of Technical Colleges in all local government areas of the state are worthy of commendation. Also worthy of commendation here is the attention the Governor has given to the pioneer state University – NDU, Bayelsa Medical University, Africa University, Toru Orua, Institute of Tourism, Bayelsa State Polytechnics Aleibiri, college of Health Technology, Otuogidi, College of Nursing Tombia and the Isaac Boro College of Education Sagbama.

The reinstatement of over 1000 NDU workers that were unlawfully sacked is something that the affected workers and their families are not taking for granted. They have remained very grateful to the Governor for saving their careers and lives considering the fact that some of their colleagues hitherto committed suicide, while others died of sicknesses due to their inability to access healthcare. Most of their children and other dependents also dropped out of school.

In the area of Sports, adequate funding has transformed that sector that was hitherto abandoned. Presently, Bayelsa competes the kingship of Sports in Nigeria with only Delta State. Bayelsa Queens for instance, is dominating female football in the country and also competing at the continental level.

The Power sector is experiencing unprecedented reform. It is a generally known fact that Electricity is a national problem but in Bayelsa state, Gov. Douye Diri is courageously tackling it. Very soon epileptic power will be a thing of the past especially with the procurement of the Twin 60megawatts of Plug and Play Gas Turbines. Before the end of the year, Bayelsa state shall boast of uninterrupted electricity.

This positive development shall help to improve the economy drastically. There shall be influx of people to the state. Many businesses shall relocate from neighbouring states and beyond. Social life and interactions shall also improve.

There is need to commend and also celebrate the giant strides of the government in the area of Health where government has built and equipped new hospitals and also renovated many existing health centres.

It is a known fact that Bayelsa is among the few states in the country where Drones are deployed to supply drugs and other facilities to hospitals in remote areas that cannot be easily accessed by road and river. The Drones deliver them within minutes.

In the area of Security, besides the few isolated cases, Bayelsa is designated as the safest state in the whole federation. As a matter of fact, other states now study the Community Policing strategy of the state.

Gov. Douye Diri has brought unprecedented peace and unity to the state. It is difficult to differentiate members of different political parties. Bayelsans no longer identify themselves based on their political parties, they hardly talk about local government areas and sections, unless where and when necessary.

It is so because Gov. Douye Diri does not discriminate or segregate. He has deliberately killed the divisive, destructive and distractive talk about core Ijaw and non-core Ijaw.

It is also a known fact that he does not give preferential treatment to any section of the state. As a matter of fact, he has located more legacy projects in other parts of the state than the area he comes from. He looks at the strategic importance of projects and their locations and not about parochial and primordial sentiments.

He has reduced the issue of Capital Flight drastically with the patronage of indigenous contractors like Lubriks Construction Company (LCC), Megastar and others that are owned by Ijaws.

Thousands of Ijaw men and women that are engaged in those companies are being trained to become experts so that some can also establish their companies and brands in the near future.

In the history of our contemporary democracy, this is one of the rarest times that a second term Governor has appointed more political appointees in the whole country.

Gov. Diri is among the few Governors with the highest number of political appointees that even doubled his first term when he actually needed votes.

It is also worthy to note that half of the appointees or thereabout are members of different political parties, while others are non-partisan. He also has many non-indigenes from the different ethnic groups and tribes that are resident in the state.

Gov. Douye Diri has revived multitudes of politicians and non-partisan Bayelsans that were hitherto rendered redundant and today, their hope have been rekindled. They have new lives.

In present day Bayelsa state, food vendors, hoteliers, transporters, schools and others are experiencing high patronages due to money that is in circulation. Husband and wife cases, divorce, landlord and tenant cases, school dropout and others have also reduced drastically due to the volume of money in circulation.

In all of the above, Gov. Douye Diri does not make noise. He believes so much in result. He sees himself as a privileged Chief Servant of Bayelsans who have been elected as a Chief Custodian of the Commonwealth and Patrimony of the people. He is one unique leader that has never alienated himself from the masses.

By the time the new gas turbines, the Nembe-Brass road, Angiama-Otuan-Oporoma road, Agge road and others are completed, Bayelsa state and Bayelsans shall experience unprecedented socio-economic growth and development.

So as Nigeria celebrate 65years of Independence and Bayelsans mark 29 years of creation, we give God all the glory as we March into a glorious New Dawn in our great state.

Finally, I urge Bayelsans to continue to support the ASSURED Prosperity Administration. I am very optimistic that in the nearest future, Gov. Douye Diri that appears like an unsung hero shall be acknowledged and celebrated as the greatest thing that happened to our lovely state.

Happy 65th Independence to our great country.

Happy 29th Anniversary of Bayelsa State.










– Hon. Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli
Technical Adviser to the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State on Media and Public Affairs.