Gov Douye Diri

Nothing Unusual in my Visit to President Tinubu ~ Diri

ksmar October 28, 2023 Headlines, Politics Leave a comment 328 Views

… Campaigns in Kolokuma/Opokuma; Assures on Road Linking Igbedi to Kaiama

By Amos Odhe, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said as a sitting governor, there was nothing unusual in his visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa on Thursday.

Speaking at Igbedi community in Constituency 2 of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state during the visit of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship campaign trail, Governor Diri said he was at liberty to congratulate President Tinubu following the Supreme Court verdict on the presidential election.

A statement by his spokesperson and member of the Publicity Directorate of the Bayelsa PDP Governorship Campaign Council, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying he was at the presidential villa to discuss serious state matters with the president, who he said attended to the issues positively.

The Bayelsa governor contended that he was not disturbed by “the speculations and lies of the opposition,” who he said became jittery because of the visit, stressing that propaganda had been the hallmark of their politics.

He said the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the November 11 governorship election remained disqualified based on the first amended list of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and urged the Bayelsa electorate not to waste their votes on a party that is not on the ballot.

Diri, who noted he was not in Igbedi to campaign, said the projects of his administration in the community were evident.

The state helmsman assured that during his second term he will construct a road linking Igbedi to Kaiama, which will create better access to and fro the Bayelsa International Airport from the East-West road and the Delta State axis.

His words: “Yesterday (Thursday), I was in Abuja and most of you saw the video trending. The opposition is now jittery and are telling lies. Of course, that is in their character.

“As a sitting governor, there is a sitting president and I do not owe them any explanation about my visit to the president.

“If the Supreme Court affirms the president of the country, as a sitting governor I reserve all the rights to visit him. But beyond that, I went for very serious state business and I can tell you that Mr. President attended to all the issues I raised.

“Those whose names have been delisted by amendment number one of INEC can no longer sleep. They will continue to have sleepless nights.

“In our second tenure, the other road that will be important to Bayelsa and even the people of Delta State and for the use of our airport will be to connect Igbedi to Kaiama. That will be the next project we will embark upon in our next tenure.”

Also speaking, wife of the governor, Dr. Gloria Diri, who is a native of Igbedi, thanked people of the community for the rousing welcome accorded her husband and the support given him over the years and urged them not to relent.

Earlier, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Environment, Iselema Gbaranbiri, expressed appreciation to Governor Diri for the administration’s projects in Igbedi and assured him of total support of the community during the November 11 election.

The governor inaugurated an internal road in the community and also observed a minute silence in honour of Mr. Peremobowei Tukuwei, who died in a tragic boat mishap on Wednesday while the APC campaigned in Nembe Local Government Area.

Tukuwei was the party’s state campaign council media and publicity director.

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ANLCA, MWUN, Others Threaten Shutdown over Port Roads, E-Call Up at Onne

By Paul Williams   Freight forwarders and truckers at Onne Port in Rivers State have threatened to shut down operations over the poor condition of the port’s access roads and the manner in which the e-call-up system recently introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is being implemented.  Six associations operating at the port, along with the Onne Youths Congress, the umbrella body for youths in Onne Community, noted that despite the huge resources accruing from Onne Port, the access roads leading to the port had become a death trap.  The associations on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, issued a four-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Ports Authority to suspend the e-call-up system until facilities such as loading bays are provided and dilapidated access roads are repaired.  Chairman of ANLCA, Onne Seaport Chapter, Chief Ifeanyi Isikaku, while reading a communique, expressed the associations’ deep concern and frustration over worsening operating conditions for members and the host community.  The unions said NPA rolled out the e-call-up system without first providing adequate holding bays, prompting “the unabated illegal parking of trucks on Onne roads that has choked traffic, damaged goods and exposed workers and residents to danger.”  They also described the port’s internal access roads as “deplorable” and a “death trap,” blaming the road condition for container-fall incidents, injuries and loss of life.  Isikaku said, “We can no longer tolerate unfulfilled NPA commitments and roads that endanger lives and destroy goods. If holding bays had been provided before the e-call-up rollout, this crisis would have been avoided.”  He pointed out that the situation is unfortunate for a port that has contributed up to N487 billion in Customs revenue alone to the federal coffers.  Isikaku said Customs revenue from Onne Port Command between January and July 2026 was approximately N439 billion, with an additional N48 billion from the Oil and Gas Free Zone — a combined N487 billion over seven months.  He called on the Federal Government, through the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, to allocate a portion of that revenue to fix and maintain internal roads and port facilities.  “Onne contributes significantly to national revenue; a fraction of the N487 billion collected between January and July should be used to repair our roads and protect workers and the host community,” he said.  The unions, among other things, demanded an immediate end to illegal parking on Onne roads to restore free traffic flow, urgent maintenance and repair of all internal access roads to prevent container falls and safeguard lives, and a ban on members’ participation in arbitrary or bogus payments associated with the e-call-up system and port transport.  Chairman of the Maritime Union of Nigeria, Eastern Port, Uche Ogbu, whose union bears the brunt of the dilapidated roads, said, “Our members will not be compelled to make arbitrary payments for a system that lacks the infrastructure to work.”  He noted the unions’ resolve on the suspension of the e-call-up system from Monday, August 17, 2026, until adequate holding bays are constructed to accommodate current truck volumes; the suspension will remain in place until all listed challenges are addressed.  …

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