Allison Abanuam

The unprecedented swearing in of Douye Diri of the PDP as Governor of Bayelsa and as the man that will pilot the affairs of the state is only made possible by divine enthronement. No man can take the glory as what looked like a lost battle became a triumph of victory. He has reiterated this fact in his goodwill message. His words “For us, God has taken us through a winding road. And it had taught us lessons of reconciliation and lesson of love’’. 

The journey to the seat of power in the state has not all been a bed of roses. It has come with twists and turns. Shortly after assumption of office, the world all over was plagued with the COVID-19 pandemic, which is identified as one of the extreme challenges mankind has experienced since the 2nd World War. It is also considered the most crucial global health calamity of the century. The compounding impact of the disease and the change in the original OPEC agreement led to the drop in crude oil prices.

Despite these challenges, the newly sworn-in Governor has defied human permutations. He has through hard work and commitment to good governance promised the people, ensured that Bayelsa state is on the path to greater heights. Despite the fact that the odds were not in his favour he has tirelessly showed true and exemplary leadership in the governance of the state.  It is not gainsaying that his political background has also played a significant role in preparing him for a dire time to confront challenges headlong and that has brought about the stability been witnessed in the state today.

Agu Osmond (2013) opines that no institution of the size of the smallest public organization can prosper without cost control, minimization of expenses, blockage of revenue leakages and control of fraud, excesses, and abuses, financial impropriety, extravaganzas in the discharge of its responsibilities. In a bid to reduce excessive government spending and allocations, Governor Diri took the bold initiative to reduce the cost of governance by 50 percent. This is because the COVID-19 presented difficult times economically as countries of the world including world super power grapple with the effects of the outbreak and the uncertainty on how to tackle the ripple effect of the COVID-19 on the economy. The decline in the price of oil revenue has led to a reduction in federal allocation. Huge cost of governance can have multiplier effect on the economy and the overall development strategy in the state. Another measure put in place to cut down the cost of governance is the reduction in number of ministries. This reform is not only aimed at repositioning the service to make it more result- oriented, block wastages and leakages in the system but to also create room for professionalism by collating and updating reliable data that will form the records of public service which have been in existence during the past administration. Over the years, there have been concerns over the huge cost of governance. The initiative to follow such recommendations by Senator Diri is laudable and illustrates that government is a continuum.

The pension act is another laudable achievement the state has witnessed since the inception of Governor Diri. The unpaid gratuity of pensioners in the state which was long overdue was cleared. In his words he stressed that “Senior citizens deserve to enjoy what they have labored for in their working years’’. Hence, the sum of N250 million was released to offset part of the debt, which has spanned for over 12 years. In this new scheme, the first batch of retirees to get paid commenced from levels 1-12 while the senior level will follow suit. The retirees have worked relentlessly in the development of the state. They have contributed immensely to the level of growth the state has witnessed. They deserve life both in service and retirement.  This has further demonstrated the commitment made to ensure the welfare of all retired pensioners in the state. The initiative to address the pension problem will, to a large extent, provide a long-lasting solution to the issues of delayed and non-payment of pensioners’ gratuity.

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The civil servant welfare is another major landmark achievement of the government under the leadership of Governor Diri. Completely cognizant of the role cash flows play in the economic development, salaries of workers are paid promptly on the 28th of every month. He has further echoed his commitment and promise made to better the welfare of the civil servants, taking into account the critical role the workforce plays in the success of any administration. By collaborating with the workers will ensure that the welfare of the workers is met. With the current economic situation, it is imperative to take into the account the critical need to improve the benefits and welfare packages of civil servants. This will in no small way boost their morale and mitigate the effect of the harsh economic condition. The resulting impact will be improved productivity.

Access to electricity is very important for economic development and prosperity. Many economic activities of people revolve around the use of electricity. it plays a vital role from production of goods to distribution. It also makes the social life of people easier and more interesting. As a matter of fact, the importance of the industry cannot be overemphasized. Over the year constant power supply has only been but a dream. But in reality, power blackout has been the lot of the citizens. In a bid to address the issue of inadequate electricity supply in Bayelsa state and provide an enabling infrastructural environment for businesses to strive; the governor partnered with the management of Port Harcourt power holding company for an uninterrupted electricity supply in the state. This is a major milestone as electricity has improved significantly. The ripple effects will lead to the creation of more jobs and enhance the state’s economy.

Another alternative strategy underway to improve power supply in the state is the use of solar. The Solar-based energy can contribute to the reduction of cost in generating and distributing of electricity, especially when it is done on large scale. The initiate by Governor Diri after implementation will make the use of solar the most practical option in improving access to stable electricity across the state. As nations of the world continue to battle to curb the transmission of the disease by testing and tracing patient, quarantining suspected persons through contact tracing, restricting large public gatherings and maintaining lockdowns; the Bayelsa state Governor has shown commitment in the way he has handled the situation in the state.

First of all, as part of precautionary measures even before the first index case was recorded in the state, he commissioned the newly built Mother and Child referral Centre to an 80-bed seater isolation center apart from the Niger Delta Teaching Hospital.

Abanuam writes from Bayelsa