Governor of Bayelsa, Senator Douye Diri, has said his administration was building a new Bayelsa where political boundaries would not hinder sustainable development of the state.
A statement by Senator Diri’s spokesman, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as stating this on Saturday when he spoke at the grand reception in honour of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, at the Ekeremor community pavilion in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.
Others honoured at the event were the state representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Senator Denyanbofa Dimaro, a member of the board of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Mrs Bekearedebo Warrens as well as a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kemasuode Wodu and Mr. Felix Okorotie, who were both conferred with the legal titles of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
The Bayelsa governor stressed that the time for politicking was over and urged the people irrespective of political differences to rally round his administration to accelerate the pace of development.
Senator Diri, who expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for appointing illustrious sons and a daughter of the state into various positions of trust in his administration, also appreciated the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for his role in the appointment of Senator Lokpobiri as minister.
He said: “This is not the time for PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) or APC (All Progressives Congress). Politics is over. It is time for governance.
“We do not have party differences in Bayelsa but what we have is the development of our state and Nigeria at large. Let us jettison petty jealousies and join hands to develop our state so that it will grow from strength to strength.
“The persons appointed have what it takes to represent Bayelsa. Under Senator Lokpobiri as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, we will see a different kind of representation. We need to partner with the NDDC and the Delta State government to build a bridge across both states.
“We need to also partner with the NDDC to take the Ekeremor road to Agge. We need this road infrastructure for easy movement of our people.”
The governor also assured that the construction work on the Nembe-Brass road in Bayelsa East senatorial district will continue and hinted that the Federal Government has indicated interest in the project.
“On behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State, l thank President Bola Tinubu for making these appointments possible. Aside from God and the president, l also thank the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, for contributing to the appointment of Senator Lokpobiri as minister.”
In his remarks, chairman of the occasion, a former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Matthew Seiyefa, also thanked President Tinubu for the appointment of sons and a daughter of Ekeremor.
Mr Seiyefa, who is also Pro-Chancellor of the state-owned Niger Delta University, said it was heartwarming that Ekeremor alone produced two Senior Advocates of Nigeria that by dint of hardwork and perseverance attained the highest level in the legal profession.
In his solidarity message, Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the gesture of honouring people that have excelled in various fields of endeavour serves as source of encouragement for others to work hard.
Dr. Ogbuku said the commission would collaborate with the government to ensure completion of the Ekeremor-Agge road project and of a regional bridge project linking Bayelsa and Delta states.
Also delivering his solidarity message, the Pere of Tuomo Kingdom and retired Supreme Court Justice, King Francis Tabai, urged the youths to see the celebrants as source of inspiration by taking their education seriously, saying without education, they would not have been celebrating the successes achieved by Lokpobiri and others.
Responding on behalf of other honourees, Lokpobiri expressed appreciation to the leaders of Ekeremor as well as the state governor for the honour done them.
He said the idea of honouring him despite being an APC member was laudable, noting that what mattered most was the character of the candidate in an election rather than the party he represents.
Lokpobiri equally thanked Wike for being instrumental to his appointment and also expressed gratitude to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and other prominent personalities for gracing the event.
Dignitaries at the well-attended event included Wike, Senator Benson Agadaga (Bayelsa East), Senator Marshal Katung (Kaduna South), and Senator James Manager (formerly Delta South).
Others were Dr. Fred Agbedi representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, his Brass/Nembe Federal Constituency counterpart, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, as well as former President, Nigerian Football Federation and currently member of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA), Amaju Pinnick amongst others.
