By Robinson Ere Erebi
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Bayelsa State Governor Sen. Douye Diri asserts that the Ijaw people are incredibly resilient, adapting to and overcoming various challenges in their environment. He emphasized that the challenging terrain has not hindered his commitment to developing the state.
Sen. Diri made these remarks while receiving the “Midterm Stewardship Report for Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency” from Hon. Engr. Rodney Ebikebina Ambaiowei at his residence in Sampou.
He stated, “Some people describe our terrain as extremely difficult. There are those who believe we should be relocated. In the past, some political elites from outside this area would argue, ‘We have oil and gas across this land, so let’s remove the people and proceed without obstruction.’ However, we have been resilient and continue to thrive.”
“Our terrain is not a curse; it is indeed a blessing. It’s beautiful. It is only when we travel outside and return that we truly appreciate our landscape. We need to harness our resilience to develop it further. If we invest in our terrain, it can become a tourist attraction like others around the world.”
While expressing gratitude to the people of Southern Ijaw for their unity and support, Gov. Douye Diri reminisced about the idea of a coastal road project now being undertaken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, highlighting the happiness it brings to the Ijaw community. He recalled, “During my time with the Ijaw National Congress, one of our major demands was a coastal road from Lagos to Calabar. I vividly remember the day Abdulsalam took over and appointed Lt. Col. Aprezi, an Ijaw man, as his ADC.”
“Through him, we were able to present the Ijaw nation’s demands, including the coastal road project, which is crucial for opening our ethnic nationality to tourism and enhancing our economic and social activities.”
Gov. Diri expressed his continued appreciation for President Tinubu’s commitment to fulfilling this long-standing demand, emphasizing its potential to transform the Ijaw community.
Speaking on recent rumors suggesting he plans to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Diri offered insights into the events that may have sparked such speculation.
“About a fortnight ago, we were in Lagos for the commissioning of part of the Lagos-Calabar road and the flagging off of the Nembe-Brass road, where I represented Bayelsa as Governor. During the event, I noticed that two states, Edo and Bayelsa, were missing from the displayed map of the coastal road. My immediate concern prompted me to approach the contractor, expressing my discontent about my state being omitted. He assured me that they would rectify this oversight in their comments.”
“I then brought this issue to the attention of the Minister of Works, who also acknowledged the mistake and promised to address it promptly.”
“This situation led to various interpretations, with some concluding I was about to defect. However, my focus remains on how to foster development and unite Bayelsa, building a prosperous future for generations to come. The days of violent politics are over,” he declared.
Governor Diri emphasized, “I believe that Nigerian political parties lack true ideology, which is why we often witness constant shifts and movements. What truly matters is our ability to bring development to our communities and make the changes that previous generations could not.”
He concluded with a vision for a prosperous future, reflecting on aspirations for his community: “Perhaps one day, people from Angiama in Southern Ijaw will awake to find bridges and roads that reflect the progress we’ve made. What previous generations could not accomplish, we must strive to achieve for our children.”
Kindly share
