The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has signed two critical pieces of legislation into law.
He also ordered the immediate dissolution of the board and management of the state-owned football club, Bayelsa United.
The dual executive actions were finalized during the 188th State Executive Council meeting, held inside the Executive Council Chambers at the Government House in Yenagoa.
The first piece of legislation signed by the governor is a private member bill designed to establish a dedicated Agency for People with Disability.
The legislative framework, which was sponsored by Charles Daniel—the lawmaker representing Brass Constituency One in the State House of Assembly, seeks to provide a robust legal shield for vulnerable citizens.
Presenting the document to the executive arm, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, stated that the creation of the agency will permanently protect persons living with disabilities from all forms of social discrimination, marginalization, and harmful treatment.
Diri affirmed the administration’s commitment to equal rights, underscoring that the new law guarantees that no citizen will face any form of exclusion or prejudice within the state based on physical challenges.
Alongside the disability act, the governor also assented to the Bayelsa Medical University Teaching Hospital Bill to strengthen regional healthcare delivery.
Shifting from legislative matters to the state’s sports sector, Diri announced the immediate sacking of the entire Board and Management of Bayelsa United Football Club.
The severe administrative shake-up follows the club’s poor competitive run, which resulted in its official relegation from the top-tier Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to the lower division.
The governor explained that the complete termination of the management’s tenure became unavoidable due to the club’s consistent failure to perform optimally.
Diri noted that the disappointing drop in ranking occurred despite the substantial financial resources, infrastructure, and institutional backing consistently invested by the state government to sustain the team’s top-flight status.
