Diri scores administration high at fifth anniversary celebration

• As Shettima applauds Gov’s reforms, others 

The fifth anniversary thanksgiving service of the Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, yesterday, offered a platform for the governor to render his stewardship.

He listed some to include the three big-ticket senatorial roads, particularly the Bayelsa Central road, which, he said, would get to Oporoma, headquarters of the Southern Ijaw Local Council and inaugurated this year.
 
He also stated that with the support of the Federal Government, the second phase of the Nembe-Brass road, Bayelsa East, would come on stream, while the ongoing first phase would be 90 per cent completed by the end of this year.
   
Diri noted that because of the abundant sporting talents in the state, his administration will construct a 25,000-seat FIFA-standard stadium, which will be flagged off by Dr. Jonathan on Monday.

Among others, the governor stated that the administration was addressing the issue of civil servants’ office accommodation by commencing the building of an iconic nine-storey secretariat complex. He disclosed that the contractor, Megastar Limited, had already been paid 50 per cent of the project cost.
   
In education, Diri said there had been a shift in paradigm to science and technical education, and the government had built and equipped five science and technical colleges across the state. He directed the Commissioner for Education to ensure that the two local councils yet to be covered were completed this year.
    
On epileptic power supply in the state, the Bayelsa helmsman said it will be a thing of the past when the 60mw gas turbines worth $60 million arrive in the state. 
  
In his goodwill message, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Economic Matters, Dr. Tope Fasua, commended Bayelsa State’s significant development and economic progress.
 
 He said the state was diversifying beyond crude oil and gas, which include agriculture, fishery and sports, which are crucial to the state’s prosperity.
 He noted that the commencement of commercial flights at the Bayelsa International Airport was a significant infrastructural development.The Vice President also applauded Diri for his reforms, including the announcement of a minimum wage of N80,000 for state workers.