Large crowd of cheering supporters welcomed the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, as he rounded off his campaigns in the three Yenagoa constituencies at the weekend.
Governor Diri, whose campaign trail visited no fewer than 16 communities in two days, assured the people that his administration will continue to prioritise development of the state capital, Yenagoa, in order to transform it into a modern city.
At Igbogene community on Saturday, a joint council of traditional rulers of the Epie and Atissa kingdoms conferred on Senator Diri the chieftaincy title of “Otoroto Ibe 1 of Oguan,”meaning the “moonlight of Epie and Atissa kingdoms.”
Describing Yenagoa as the gateway to the state, he said more roads have been constructed and others at advanced stages of completion linking the capital to other communities in the state.
He said: “Your support to the Prosperity Administration is a call to more duty. When you give me your mandate for a second term, l will do more for Epie and Atissa kingdoms. This is because the gateway to Bayelsa State is Yenagoa, the capital city, which needs development. Therefore, our goal is to continue to develop our capital city just as we are taking development closer to the rural areas for our development to be holistic.
“We have almost completed the Elebele-Igbogene ring road. We have inaugurated different sections and just one section is left, which will equally be inaugurated so that the one-road city status narrative about Yenagoa will change.
“Now, we have multiple roads in Yenagoa. We have many concrete and street roads that were earth roads. Today, people can drive to their houses without parking vehicles on the roadside as we used to do when we had only the Mbiama-Yenagoa road.”
The governor commended King Malla Sasime, the Obenibe X1 of Epie Kingdom and King Godwin Igodo, Ebenibe Vll of Atissa kingdom, represented by Chief G. Simeon, for providing the enabling environment for the development of Yenagoa.
He urged the people to turn out en mass to vote the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in this Saturday’s governorship election to enable his administration bring more development to the area.
In an address presented by Chief Natus Zebakeme on behalf of the Epie and Atissa council of chiefs, both kingdoms commended the Diri administration for putting in place people-oriented projects.
They listed some of the projects to include the dual carriage Glory Drive, the ring road, the three senatorial roads, completion of an ultra-modern transport terminal among many other projects.
The people however requested for the dredging and construction of bridges across the Epie creek among others.
Similarly, member representing Yenagoa/ Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Oforji Oboku, member, representing Yenagoa Constituency 1 in the House of Assembly, Chief Ayibanegiyefa Egba, Commissioner for Health, Dr Pabara Igwele as well as caretaker committee chairman of the Yenagoa local government council, Andy Tobi, urged the Epie and Atissa people to vote PDP in the election.
Speaking on behalf of the people at Agudama-Epie, Executive Assistant to the Governor on Policy and Strategy, Patterson Ogon, while applauding the administration’s passion for development, presented requests for the installation of solar-powered lights, internal roads, health centre, modern primary and secondary schools as well as a mini-auditorium.
At Swali, a former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, inaugurated another of the new technical college built by the Diri administration, bringing to four similar institutions constructed and inaugurated during the campaigns.
Senator Saraki commended the governor’s examplary leadership in establishing technical colleges, noting that he was investing in future generations.
“You cannot hide performance. What we have here is a technical college and this is what I call visionary leadership. He is investing in future generations and the impact on the people of Bayelsa is going to be tremendous.
“I commend you for this project. The focus of the world today is vocational and technical skills. So l am very confident and hopeful that on the 11th of this month, PDP will win in Bayelsa State.”
The campaign trail also visited other Constituency 1 communities of Opolo, Kpansia, Agbura, Famgbe, Obogoro, Amarata and Yenagoa.
On Friday, the governor inaugurated projects in Yenagoa Constituency 2 and 3 and assured the people of more when re-elected.
They included a new complex of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Okolobiri, health centre and town hall in Akaibiri, another town hall in Okordia and an internal road in Biseni.
He equally made stops at Obunagha, Nedugo, Ogboloma and Zarama communities.
At Nedugo, the Ibenanaowei of Gbarain Kingdom, King Funpere Akah, conferred on him the title of Olotu 1 of Gbarain Kingdom.
The monarch, who applauded the governor for the peace in the state, said the conferment was in recognition of the positive impact he is making on the lives of the people.
Speaking at the rally at Obunagha, a former Acting Governor and Speaker of the State Assembly, Chief Werinipre Seibarugu, said as an All Progressives Congress (APC) member, he knows that its candidate, Chief Timipre Sylva, did not care for members of the party while he was Minister of State for Petroleum.
He dismissed claims that Chief Sylva empowered people while in office, adding that the APC candidate’s doors were never open to those who sought help.
“People say Sylva is an empowerment machine and that he empowered people. When he was minister, how many people did he empower? When he was minister, even when people went to him, his doors were always closed to them.
“He did not look after the APC people under him. We are leaders and we have been in the APC. We know who Slyva is and we cannot fall for his tricks again,” Seibarugu said.
At the rallies, thousands of defectors from the APC and other parties joined the PDP.
Daniel Alabrah
Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa Governor and Member, Bayelsa PDP Governorship Campaign Council