Just as the Biblical David that fought several battles and won all, Gov Diri of Bayelsa state scaled over 31 court cases to defeat his detractors, amidst good governance. Writes JOY EMMANUEL.
His magic wand
Governor Duoye Diri is seen by many political watchers as God-sent to Bayelsa state. Although the state is grossly bedevilled by infrastructural deficits and lots more, Senator Diri in his wisdom decided to begin his ‘Prosperity Government’ by touching lives and reconciling the people who were hitherto divided along political and ethnicity lines.
Before now especially during the immediate past administration, members of two different political parties were seen as political enemies as politics was played with so much bitterness and acrimony. A political watchers in the state, Gusto Dennis said, “Even if you are sibblings, polical leaders made them to see eachother as enemies so long they belonged to different political parties.”
While making reference to Martin Luther King Jr who said, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity”, Dennis said it was that spirit that the governor has brought to bear in the state. To this end, the governor had earlier urged the political class in the state to shun politics of hatred in the interest of development of the state.
Opposition members attest to Diri’s style
It could be recalled that on November 13, 2019 when the governor and his party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters campaigned for the November 16, 2919 governorship election, Nembe was the scene of vicious shooting incident in which some lives were lost. That notwithstanding, Gov Diri choose to use peace to cripple the opposition in the state. Because of this, APC juggernaut in the state defected to PDP.
Just recently, scores of former top members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa said they have dumped the party for PDP because of the absence of internal democracy.
Speaking during their formal reception into the PDP in Yenagoa, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Venezuela and ex-secretary to the state government, Senator Felix Oboro described the APC in Bayelsa as a one-man party where the leader decides everything without recourse to the opinion of other members.
He said the overbearing attitude of the leader of the party in the state left most of them unhappy and frustrated, leaving them with no choice but to look back to the PDP, which he described as home.
Oboro however noted that the leadership style of Governor Diri endeared him and his followers to the party, saying they are back to join the governor to develop the state.
Civil servants attest
Also, a former commissioner for finance, Mr Solomon Apreala, a former special adviser to the governor on political matters, Mr Steven Diver and a former special adviser on security, Chief Richard Kpodoh all said the performance of Governor Diri within one year in office, despite the numerous challenges he had contended with attracted them back to the party where they see as their new home.
According to Apreala, “From all indications, civil servants in the state seem to be at peace with the leadership of the Sampou born politician for some obvious reasons. “As a predominantly civil service state, they believe that the governor’s leadership approach towards their welfare is commendable compared to previous bitter experiences.” A level-12 civil servant who preferred not to be mentioned in prints said the previous administration almost rendered civil service career a nightmare. He noted that apart from incessant non-payment of salaries, career workers also experienced indiscriminate deduction from their monthly wages as well as multiple taxation.
“During the previous administration and some successive governments, we were relegated to the background. We never knew when salaries would be paid. As a result, we couldn’t plan anything meaningful with our salaries, but today, I know when l will get the next alert and plan my life accordingly.”
