A coalition of youths in Bayelsa State has commended Governor Douye Diri on his administration’s achievements.
The group led by the director-general of the Prosperity Youth Coalition, Mr. Doubara Kumokou, gave the commendation on Thursday during a solidarity rally to Government House, Yenagoa.
Mr Kumokou, who spoke at the rally, said Bayelsa is a peaceful state and that the group would not allow anyone to disrupt the prevailing peace in the guise of protest.
While pledging the continuous support of youths to the administration, Kumokou listed the governor’s achievements to include peace and security, prompt payment of salaries, employment of primary and secondary school teachers, appointment of 16 youths into the state executive council, construction of Glory Drive Phases 2 & 3, and prudent management of the state’s resources among several other projects.
In his response, Governor Diri, who was represented by his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, commended the youths for their peaceful disposition.
The governor said his administration was youth-friendly as attested to by the number of youths appointed into the state cabinet.
He stated that contrary to the impression created by disgruntled politicians, his government was judiciously using the state’s resources for the development of different sectors.
The governor further stated that the construction of the major roads linking communities in Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor local government areas had saved the people a lot of time and money in terms of transportation cost.
While acknowledging that people had the right to protest, he said this should be done within the ambits of the law, and warned that the government would not tolerate any kind of destruction.
His words: “This government has shown clearly, as against the comments of naysayers, that we are here for development. That was why the Sagbama-Ekeremor road initiated by the previous administration was completed. The second phase from Ekeremor to Agge is set to take off. That is going to be one of the legacy projects of this prosperity government.
“The Glory Drive Phase 2 from the Ecumenical Centre to Tombia has been completed. The third phase from Etegwe to Government House is going on aggressively. The Yenagoa outer ring road, initiated by the previous administration, has also been completed.
“Bayelsa State is the reference point for health insurance in Nigeria. Other states copy what we have done. We have employed 250 primary school teachers, 960 are almost being employed for our secondary schools. We are about to employ 1000 health workers. Programmes at the Niger Delta University have been accredited and the institution’s admission capacity increased from 5000 to 7500. We are not misusing any resources as claimed by failed politicians.
“We are trying to expand the horizon of our youths. The present cabinet of 29 commissioners has 16 youths. That shows that the youths are the nucleus of the prosperity administration.
“I enjoin you to ask other youths to be peaceful. Everybody has the right under section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution to assemble and protest, but that should not be at the detriment of the rights of others.
“While you have the right to protest, you do not have the right to obstruct traffic, destroy property or lynch anybody. if you do that, government will not fold its arms and allow irresponsible people do what they want. As you go about, you have the best wishes of the governor.”
