Diri: Living the Bayelsa’s Founding Fathers Dreams
By Kola Oredipe, GUEST WRITER – Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, is an unusual politician. Best described as an activist-politician, Diri’s passion for the development of Bayelsa State is consummate.
As a young man, Diri was a frontline participant in the movement for the creation of the homogeneous Ijaw state. A former secondary school teacher, youth and sports commissioner, Deputy Chief of Staff, Principal Executive Secretary, House of Reps member, and Senator before becoming Governor, Diri’s life trajectory has shown that he is a man well-groomed in administration and human resource development, suitable to propel the dream of an enduring growth and development of Bayelsa State.
As a young man in the late 80s and early 90s, Diri’s involvement in the creation of Bayelsa State laid the foundation for his deep yearning for a developed, homogeneous Ijaw state. His interactions with key leaders of the Ijaw nation gave him the crucial background with first-hand information on the dreams and aspirations of the founding fathers of Bayelsa State long before creation.
And today, Bayelsa has one of its founding fathers at the helm of affairs. The results can best be imagined with the number of completed and ongoing projects. These big-ticket landmark projects include the 60MW Bayelsa Independent Gas Power, the Yenagoa- Oporoma- Ukubie road with the 630m Angiama- Oporoma Bridge already completed; the Sagbama- Ekeremor -Agge road; New Yenagoa City and its dualised roads, the iconic nine-storey State secretariat complex; historic Nembe- Brass road; Glory Drive Phase 3/ Imgbi Bridge; the 30 capacity Olympic size Stadium; Bayelsa Medical University 500-bed Hospital, Haemo-Dialysis/Outpatient centre and the Zipline Medical Aerial Logistics.
The list also include all the science, technical and vocational colleges, construction of several community secondary and primary schools; upgrade of several Primary Health Centres; empowerment of small and medium scale business owners.
As an Ijaw activist and pioneer Organising Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Diri has repeatedly shared his experience while in the trenches fighting for equity, fairness, justice and resource control.
There is no gainsaying that, having travelled several creeks in Ijaw land with other leaders, where they were confronted with poverty, and poor infrastructure, the sad reality of under-development was the turning point for an improved life for the people. This was the driving force for his deep passion to open up several riverine communities by roads.
All the landmark projects being undertaken by Governor Diri could only be done by somebody who is truly passionate about the development of the Ijaw nation as envisioned by the founding fathers.
Senator Diri, who was very active in the Youth Wing of the Bayelsa Creation Movement, must be a happy man seeing the massive progress and great journey of statehood at 30. He truly has done many things differently, ushering in a new era of peace and unity among Bayelsans, including those in opposition.
He kept saying political parties are mere platforms for election and that Bayelsa development is the project for everyone, and so, he welcomes those in opposition to equally attract development to Bayelsa.
Hear him speaking when he inspected the ongoing Nembe- Brass Road project: ‘’I feel accomplished. It is one thing to have a vision and another thing to have the will to do it. Being a Bayelsan, the importance of this road cannot be over-emphasised. This is what the people have been yearning for, and I’m satisfied that the people are happy about the project.’’
Diri has walked the walk of the peace he professed, and has continued to execute projects in line with his vision of development. He is a living dream of the founding fathers, thus inspiring new dreams for generations yet unborn.
Oredipe, is the Director-General, New Media to the Governor
