The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, says despite recent upsurge in cult-related criminal activities and abduction of Justice Ebieyerin Omukoro by yet-to-be-identified armed men, the state remains one of the most peaceful in the country.
Governor Diri who spoke to a mammoth crowd at the Oxbow Lake Pavilion in Yenagoa during the grand finale of his thank-you tour across the eight local government areas, said his administration was committed to the safety and security of residents of the state and was leaving no stone unturned in tackling pockets of insecurity experienced in recent weeks.
“Your government has invested so much in security, and we recently installed CCTV cameras in Yenagoa.
”There is no state without some level of insecurity. No government can give you total security. But we will continue to solve the issues as they arise.
”The recent Gestapo-style kidnap of a high court Judge was unfortunate and condemnable. But we picked up footage of the incident that we are using to ensure he is released.
”My dear people, you all have a job to do to keep the peace and security of Yenagoa. We are not spirits in government, and we need credible information from you.”
The Governor, while reiterating his administration’s commitment to open the state for positive development, called for the creation of more local governments in the state, saying Yenagoa was too big to be just one local government.
He said the council deserved to be split into five to include Yenagoa South, Yenagoa North, Ekpetiama, Gbarain and Biseni/Okordia.
“We came to say thank you to our people and non-natives in Yenagoa. We came to say we appreciate you for re-electing my deputy and I for another term.
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“Yenagoa is the window to the whole of Bayelsa State, and that is why we have taken its development seriously. Today, we no longer have only one road into the capital as was the case. Yenagoa now has a ring road constructed by this administration.
”My predecessor started the transport terminal at Igbogene, and we completed it. We are developing a new Yenagoa city comparable to any in the world. As we speak, your government is building an ultramodern, FIFA-standard stadium in Yenagoa.
”We are also improving the skyline of the capital city with the construction of a nine-storey civil servants’ secretariat. We are equally making headway with our search for investors to complete the Tower Hotel. We will continue to invest in Yenagoa.”
Governor Diri described as anathema a situation where the number of local governments was used to share the country’s resources, insisting that the state was being cheated due to its few number of councils.
He further advocated that states be constitutionally empowered to create local governments they can cater to, noting that Bayelsa deserved more than the current eight.
The governor and his entourage, which included his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, National Assembly members, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, among others, had earlier visited the state traditional rulers council secretariat, where they received royal blessings and gifts from the monarchs in Yenagoa local government area.
