Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, on Wednesday, fought back tears as he paid an emotional tribute to his late deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, at a Day of Tribute organised by the state government in honour of the deceased.
 
Speaking at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa, Diri’s voice broke as he recounted his pain since the sudden demise of Ewhrudjakpo on December 11, 2025.

He said each time he had the opportunity to speak about his deputy after that fateful day, he found himself stuck in a fickle.
 
The governor noted that his deputy’s passing reminded him of the brevity of life and that he was now left alone to complete the journey they both began on February 14, 2020.
 
Diri described the late Ewhrudjakpo as a consummate public servant, a compatriot, an ally, and a brother.
 
Urging people of the state to continue to honour Ewhrudjakpo’s memory by living in unity and sustaining the values he stood for, he prayed God to strengthen his family, noting that his legacies would shape the work they started together to a conclusive end.
 
He said: “Words cannot adequately capture the deep sense of loss that I feel today. I miss his advice. My heart aches. Lawrence, where are you?” he asked repeatedly.
 
“I have lost a true friend, colleague and brother. To some, Ewhrudjakpo was a hard person, but was so soft to others. To me, he was a man of many proverbs.”
 
Speaking further, the Bayelsa number one citizen described his late deputy as dependable, resourceful and a workaholic with an uncompromising integrity.
 
“He was a man of unshakeable loyalty to government, family and friends, and his attributes will continue to inspire all of us.”
 
In his tribute, former President Goodluck Jonathan said Ewhrudjakpo was an exceptional politician who worked diligently in the service of the state as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure and later as deputy governor.
 
According to Jonathan, “Ewhrudjakpo was a nice, lively and extraordinary politician, who believed in doing what was right.”
 
He encouraged the political class to emulate his exemplary conduct.

Paying tribute, the immediate past governor of the state and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, said he was devastated by Ewhrudjakpo’s unexpected passage and that the deceased’s commitment to service embodied the reasons he delved into public service.
 
Dickson also recalled his political journey with Ewhrudjakpo, whom he described as his mentee, noting sadly that it was the first time in the history of Bayelsa that a serving deputy governor had been lost.
 
“Ewhrudjakpo and I have been together on a journey in the service of our people and upholding the dignity of our people for over 30 years. What can I say? His death was too sudden, too shattering and devastating. Since his unexpected passing on that fateful December 11, I have not been myself.”
 
Speaker of the Bayelsa House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, stated that Ewhrudjakpo worked hard to elevate the shared vision of the Prosperity Government and that history will record him as having placed the interest of the state above his personal considerations.
 
In her tribute, the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Matilda Ayemieye, described the day Ewhrudjakpo passed on as a dark Thursday for the state judiciary, stating that he touched many lives in different ways, noting that she is consoled by the fact that he died peacefully in the Lord.