A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, has rated high the administration of Governor Douye Diri over the graduate foundation laying for an effective security architecture, urban planning of the capital city and the payment of workers and pensioners salary and gratuity respectively.
According to Kpodoh, though he is a chieftain of the leading opposition party in the state, the decision to rate Governor Douye Diri is to encourage the present administration on the little achievements recorded with an improved power supply in the state, destruction of shanties and illegal structures that had hitherto hidden criminal elements and the satisfactory smiles put on the faces of civil servants and pensioners in the state with the payment of salary and retired benefits as and when due.
Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, who made this known in Yenagoa, said: “Governor Douye Diri has done a lot with the few steps he has taken in recent times. This gratuity and retiree benefits he is paying has gone a long way to putting smiles on the faces of pensioners and increase their health status. A man that has worked for 35 years and because of a poor system, he is not expecting gratuity and one administration came with a surprise package and settle it.
“The present administration is not about putting up a bogus structure and claim he has done something for 100 days. What he is doing with payment of salaries and pension is visible and it touches lives. Look at the demolition of shanties and illegal structures. He is clearing it up to expose any criminal elements to the people. I will only advice that he should accelerate the construction of what they want to do at the demolition sites. If you demolish a place, the government can safe guard the place and ensure those illegal occupants would not come back. They should quickly construct on the demolition site for the benefit of the people.
“On this issue of prompt salary payment, the governor may end up writing his name in gold. The workers would be given opportunity to do things with facilities provided by the banks. With prompt salary payment, the workers can develop themselves and achieve their goals of owning a house and cars. I give him kudos for what he is doing. He is saving lives with prompt payment of gratuity.”
On the criticism against Governor Douye Diri by some members of opposition, Chief Kpodoh urged the members of the opposition party to team up and consider the present administration as the one that emerged after an electioneering process, ”what do we expect from Government, Infrastructure, improved power supply and general welfare. And he is doing well in that area.”
“I am also a member of the opposition party and when we talk about Nigeria, we talk about Bayelsa. Politics divide everybody during election with various objectives and manifestoes. But after politics, when someone emerges, we must work with the person. This is how crisis starts. When you support the governor of a state, the governor in turn will work hard due to the support and accolades from opposition and others. In some states, many indigenes don’t know where government house is. But in Bayelsa, government seems to be in charge of everyday lives. That is what creates problem. People should be industrious.
“The truth is that, we cannot be castigating where there is no need to castigate. He has just spent 100 days and he has four years to go. How many of them came in and do something for hundred days. The man has started touching lives for hundred days. Do you know how many lives the demolition in Tombia and Swali has saved? In the past, do you know how many that died from various violent crimes? Douye Diri is saving lives within hundred.
