Bayelsa: The many challenges before Gov Diri

The recent Supreme Court’s declaration of Senators Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as governor and deputy governor of Bayelsa State respectively was a bombshell to many, especially members of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Both Diri and Ewhrudjakpo have since been sworn in and have settled for governance. Diri, who was the candidate of the […]

The recent Supreme Court’s declaration of Senators Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo as governor and deputy governor of Bayelsa State respectively was a bombshell to many, especially members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Both Diri and Ewhrudjakpo have since been sworn in and have settled for governance.

Diri, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state, came behind the candidate of the APC, Chief David Lyon, who was declared governor-elect on November 18, 2019.

Lyon was, however, sacked by the Supreme Court a day to his swearing in due to the multiple names in the credentials of his running mate, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo.

Diri has declared his intention to reconcile all warring factions in the state, regardless of their political affiliations. He met with former President Goodluck Jonathan soon after his inauguration as governor, and has also been visiting and consulting with some prominent traditional rulers in the state in his peace building efforts.

Before and during the last governorship election, the PDP was divided along various interests, especially with the introduction of the ‘Restoration Caucus’ by the immediate past governor, Seriake Dickson, which made several prominent stakeholders of the party work against it.

Observers said the defeat of the PDP in the election, prior to the recent judgement of the Supreme Court, was a fallout of the division within the party.

Governor Diri has also extended the olive branch to the sacked governor-elect, Chief Lyon and other top APC leaders in the state, including the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, to join hands in building a greater Bayelsa.

Notwithstanding the peace moves however, analysts believe  the challenge before Diri still remains a herculean one, given the circumstances under which he rode into power.

According to observers, the wounds of the Supreme Court’s judgement are still far from being healed, just as many Bayelsans are of the opinion that the immediate past governor, who is seen as Governor Diri’s godfather, had impoverished the people of the state; thus they might want to transfer their aggression to the new governor.

But observers said Diri had the opportunity to clear the doubts of the people by ensuring good performance as governor, especially in the aspects of upgrading social infrastructures and prompt payment of salaries and pensions in order to gain the confidence of the people.

During a thanksgiving service at the Gloryland Chapel in the Government House, Yenegoa, Diri declared that he would run an all-inclusive government; hence the need for the cooperation and support of all leaders of the state, including former President Jonathan.

He thanked God for giving him the mandate, urging all his supporters to be magnanimous in victory.

He said, “I will be governor of all, be it PDP, APC and others. We must remain united and ensure peace in our land. That is the only time we can be talking of development. Let us work together.

“My priority is to bring development to every part of Bayelsa State, which is why I am willing to consider even members of the opposition parties for appointments in my administration.

“Our administration will not condone crimes and criminalities. No development can take place in the atmosphere devoid of peace.”

During a statewide broadcast, Diri assured the people of Bayelsa that his administration was poised to offer a renewed hope to the people.

He maintained that victory in a political contest should not be seen as an end in itself, but as a means to foster peace, stability and development in all spheres.

Diri said his administration would make life more meaningful by creating an enabling environment that would engender economic activities and provide employment opportunities for the teeming youths of the state.

He said his administration acknowledged the outstanding issues arising from the implementation of his predecessor’s policies, which he was a part of, but expressed his determination to accommodate fresh perspectives for the overall good of Bayelsa people.

Diri seemed to have backed his words with action with the appointment of former President Jonathan’s kinsman, Chief Benson Agadaga as the chief of staff, Government House.

Jonathan was accused of anti-party activities during the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state, where his party, the PDP lost his Ogbia Local Government Area and all other local government areas in his Bayelsa East senatorial district to the APC.

The governor, in a statement by his acting chief press secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, also named a former Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr Konbowei Friday Benson, as the Secretary to the State Government; ex-governor Dickson’s kinsman, Peter Peretubo Akpe as the deputy chief of staff and Mr Irorodamie Komonibo as his principal secretary.

Though stakeholders of the APC in the state are not happy about the judgement voiding the party’s victory during the November 16, 2019 poll, the sacked governor-elect, Chief Lyon, had however, called for calm, saying the party would explore all legal windows available to retrieve the mandate the Bayelsa people gave him.

In a statement by one of his aides, Mr Alphine Ogoh after the judgement, Lyon urged his supporters and loyalists to eschew all forms of violence. He said that as a peacemaker, he would not support, sponsor or direct anybody to engage in violent protests and agitations because of Supreme Court’s judgement.

“I believe that in a democracy, the court is the last hope of the common man. Following the court pronouncement, I was preoccupied with exploring all legal processes and remedies available in the constitution to address the unfortunate incident.

“I urge everyone to eschew violence and avoid the temptation of engaging in acts that could tarnish the image of Bayelsa State and plunge the entire country into chaos. Political leaders, irrespective of their party affiliations, should call their supporters to order. The present situation in Bayelsa State does not demand that anybody should take laws into their hands.”

Similarly, the leader of APC in the state and minister of state for petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, also added his voice to the call for peace in the state. He urged the people to shun all acts of violence and lawlessness because of the judgement.

Sylva, a former governor of the state, had said the leadership of the APC directed its team of legal experts to study the situation critically and proffer legal options available to the party accordingly.

He said: “To the good people of Bayelsa State, I would like to emphasise the need for restraint at all times. No doubt, the events of the last few days are as provocative as they are regrettable. But, however tempting it might be, the temptation of people taking laws into their hands must be resisted in the greater interest of our state and the political stability of the country.

“We should, therefore, remain faithful to, and have confidence in the wisdom and ability of the party leadership to provide direction at this very sensitive time.’’

However, the expectation of the  APC to regain its governorship mandate through a judgement review it sought at the Supreme Court has been shattered following the verdict delivered by the apex court on the matter.

The seven-man panel of the apex court, headed by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, in a unanimous judgement, described APC’s request for a review of its ruling as “vexatious, frivolous and an abuse of court process.”

Justice Amina Augie, who read the lead judgement, noted that the applications were an attempt to make the court violate its rules and the provision of the constitution, which makes it the final court of the land. She further held that the applications, if granted, had the capacity to belittle the dignity and status of the court and open a floodgate for such requests in the future.

Meanwhile, some religious leaders in the state have stepped in to ensure that things don’t go out of hand in the state in the aftermath of the Supreme Court verdict.

During a thanksgiving service to usher in the administration of Governor Diri, Apostle Zilly Aggrey of Royal House of Grace International warned against frivolities in governance. He urged the governor to be wary of “bootlickers, sycophants and praise-singers who would run down other people for personal gains.

“Every community in Bayelsa should have good water to drink. You should work with Koreans, Chinese, Germans and other good nations to bring development. Our youths need jobs; that is when there will be peace,” he said.

Already, Diri has set the ball rolling to ensure that the dividends of democracy is given to the people of the state, as well as ensure the prosperity he promised during his campaigns.

He had met with the management team of the Port Harcourt Electricity Company (PHEDC) to ensure that power situation in the state was addressed.

Diri has equally been having meetings with security chiefs in the state to ensure improved security of lives and property.

He has promised to send the 2020 appropriation bill to the state House of Assembly to ensure that capital projects are executed as soon as possible.

A cross section of  Bayelsans said they expected much from the new administration, as according to them, the immediate past administration and its policies were not favourable.