Diri: Bayelsa, at 30, has overcome terrain challenges
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, on Wednesday, said the state has conquered the daunting terrain challenges that confronted it at creation, recording significant transformation in infrastructure, connectivity and human development in its 30 years of existence.
Diri stated this at an exhibition and anniversary lecture marking the 30th anniversary of the state at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa.
The governor said the state, created on October 1, 1996 by the late former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, was beset by a difficult terrain, limited infrastructure, poor connectivity and a fragile economic base but that successive administrations had steadily transformed the landscape.
He said the emergence of roads and bridges where communities were previously separated by creeks, the development of an international airport and the establishment of universities and other institutions demonstrated the extent to which the state had overcome its geographical limitations.
He said: “Today, where there was once swamp, we have an international airport. Where there were once creeks, we now have five universities as well as polytechnics. Where communities were separated by water, bridges and roads now bind us together.”
According to him, Bayelsa has also expanded its federal presence with the establishment of facilities such as the Content Towers, Federal Secretariat, Nigerian Law School and various security formations.
He acknowledged the contributions of successive administrations to the development of the state, stressing that the progress recorded over the past three decades was a continuum built on the efforts and sacrifices of previous leaders and citizens.
Diri said renewed attention was being given to the state’s senatorial roads, while the Independent Power Project was being expanded from 60 to 100 megawatts.
He also cited the ongoing construction of the 30,000-capacity stadium and the nine-storey Secretariat Complex as major projects expected to strengthen public services, connectivity and economic activity.
The Bayelsa helmsman, however, stated that the 30th anniversary should go beyond celebrating past achievements, stressing the need to build stronger institutions, create opportunities for youths and women, protect the environment and ensure balanced development across the state.
He challenged Bayelsans to transform the sacrifices of the state’s founding fathers into a foundation for a more prosperous and united future.
“The legacies of yesterday must become the launchpad for the Bayelsa of tomorrow: a Bayelsa that is more connected, more prosperous, more just, more peaceful, and more promising for every citizen and resident.”
Delivering the anniversary lecture, renowned scholar and public intellectual, Prof. Godini Darah, said Nigeria’s dependence on oil and gas had constrained the country’s economic development.
Darah stated that the nation’s over-reliance on petroleum resources had prevented it from fully developing other productive sectors of the economy.
The scholar also called for fundamental reforms to Nigeria’s fiscal federalism and greater resource control for producing regions.
He described the 13 per cent derivation allocation to oil-producing states as “87 per cent deprivation,” arguing that the Niger Delta bears the environmental consequences of resource extraction while having limited control over its natural wealth.
Darah attributed the situation to historical and constitutional arrangements, including Petroleum Decree Number 51 of 1969 and Section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
He challenged Niger Delta leaders to move beyond dependence on crude oil by investing in knowledge, science, technology, research and value-added industries.
The academic advocated the development of specialised universities and research institutions in areas including oceanography, marine engineering and commercial aquaculture.
He also called for the conversion of natural gas into reliable electricity and the development of petrochemical and other industries that could create jobs and wealth within the region.
Darah urged state governments and Host Community Development Committees to channel Petroleum Industry Act funds into human capital development and transformative infrastructure.
He further encouraged the use of locally available materials, including clay, in construction and industrial production, arguing that the region should maximise its abundant natural resources.
Darah urged Bayelsans to use the anniversary to renew their commitment to development of the state and the unity of Nigeria.
The anniversary programme featured a panel discussion anchored by the Vice Chancellor, University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Prof. Solomon Ebobrah, Professor of Human Rights and Public Law; Ibaba Samuel Ibaba, Professor of Political Science, Young Ayotamuno, and Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Etebu, Nigeria’s first female professor of mechanical engineering and former Commissioner for Special Duties.
There was also an exhibition showcasing Bayelsa’s history, the struggle for its creation and the developmental milestones recorded in the state over the past three decades.
The event had in attendance former President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of the governor, Dr. Gloria Diri, the deputy governor, Dr. Peter Akpe, as well as Abacha’s children, including Ibrahim Abacha, Abba Abacha, Fatima Abacha, among other family members.
Also present were National Assembly members, state legislators, top government officials, traditional rulers as well as Bayelsans who attended in their numbers.
