Bayelsa At 30: Diri Says Roads, Bridges, Airport Have Broken Terrain Barrier

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has said the state has overcome the geographical and terrain challenges that hindered development when it was created 30 years ago.

Diri made the assertion on Wednesday at an exhibition and anniversary lecture organised to mark the state’s 30th anniversary at the DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa.

Bayelsa was created on October 1, 1996, by the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha. According to Diri, the new state was then characterised by difficult terrain, inadequate infrastructure, poor connectivity and a weak economic base.

He said successive administrations had gradually changed the situation, pointing to the construction of roads and bridges, the establishment of an international airport, universities and other institutions as evidence of the transformation.

“Today, where there was once swamp, we have an international airport. Where there were once creeks, we now have five universities as well as polytechnics. Where communities were separated by water, bridges and roads now bind us together,” the governor said.

Diri also cited the establishment of the Content Towers, Federal Secretariat, Nigerian Law School and various security formations as evidence of the growing federal presence in the state.

He acknowledged the contributions of past administrations, saying the development recorded in Bayelsa over the past three decades was the result of a continuum of efforts and sacrifices by successive leaders and citizens.

The governor disclosed that his administration was giving renewed attention to the state’s senatorial roads, while its Independent Power Project was being expanded from 60 to 100 megawatts.

He also identified the ongoing construction of a 30,000-capacity stadium and a nine-storey Secretariat Complex as major projects expected to boost public services and economic activities.

Diri, however, said the anniversary should serve as a platform for looking beyond past achievements, with greater emphasis on stronger institutions, opportunities for youths and women, environmental protection and balanced development.

He urged Bayelsans to build on the sacrifices of the state’s founding fathers and work towards a more prosperous and united future.

‘Oil, Gas Dependence Imprisoned Nigeria’ — Darah

Delivering the anniversary lecture, renowned scholar and public intellectual, Prof. Godini Darah, said Nigeria’s overdependence on oil and gas had constrained the country’s economic development.

Darah argued that excessive reliance on petroleum resources had prevented Nigeria from fully developing other productive sectors of the economy.

He called for fundamental reforms to the country’s fiscal federalism and greater resource control for oil-producing regions.

The scholar described the 13 per cent derivation allocation to oil-producing states as “87 per cent deprivation,” arguing that communities in the Niger Delta bear the environmental consequences of oil extraction while having limited control over their natural resources.

He linked the situation to historical and constitutional arrangements, including Petroleum Decree Number 51 of 1969 and Section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution.

Darah urged Niger Delta leaders to reduce dependence on crude oil by investing in knowledge, science, technology, research and value-added industries.

He advocated specialised universities and research institutions in fields such as oceanography, marine engineering and commercial aquaculture, while calling for the conversion of natural gas into reliable electricity.

He also urged the development of petrochemical and other industries capable of creating jobs and generating wealth within the region.

Darah called on state governments and Host Community Development Committees to deploy funds provided under the Petroleum Industry Act to human capital development and transformative infrastructure.

He further encouraged the use of locally available materials such as clay in construction and industrial production.

The anniversary programme featured a panel discussion moderated by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Africa, Toru-Orua, Prof. Solomon Ebobrah, with Professor Ibaba Samuel Ibaba, Professor Young Ayotamuno and Prof. Ongoebi Maureen Etebu, Nigeria’s first female professor of mechanical engineering and former Commissioner for Special Duties, participating.

The event also featured an exhibition documenting Bayelsa’s history, the struggle for its creation and developmental milestones recorded over the past 30 years.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan; the governor’s wife, Dr Gloria Diri; Deputy Governor Dr Peter Akpe; and members of the Abacha family, including Mohammed Abacha, Abba Abacha and Fatima Gumsu Abacha, attended the event.

National Assembly members, state legislators, government officials, traditional rulers and other Bayelsans were also present.