Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has approved the appointment of Dr. Wisdom Ebiye Sawyer as Head of the Civil Service of the state.

This was disclosed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, in a statement on Tuesday.

The appointment of Sawyer, a Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, followed the retirement of Barr. (Mrs.) Biobelemoye Charles-Onyema on August 31, 2025.

The new HoS joined the Bayelsa civil service on June 8, 1998, as a Medical Officer.

He was born on May 14, 1970, in Odi community, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state, and began his education at Town School, Okrika in Rivers State.

He graduated in 1981 to attend Okrika Grammar School, where he took the West African School Certificate examinations in 1986.

In 1988, Sawyer gained admission to the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, where he studied and obtained the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree in 1996.

He also attended the University of Lagos to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health in 2000. Additionally, he completed his postgraduate training at the National Post-Graduate Medical College, Lagos, in 2005, and later obtained a Part 2 Fellowship in Public Health from the same institution in 2010.

Dr. Sawyer has already defended his dissertation at the faculty level for a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Clinical Sciences and Public Health at the state-owned Niger Delta University Faculty of Clinical Sciences.

The newly appointed HoS is also a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Government has banned the imposition and collection of Development Levy by Community Development Committees (CDCs), youth organisations, and related groups in the state forthwith.

This is part of the government’s commitment to fast-track development, prevent extra burdens on investors, and promote a business-friendly environment.

In view of this, Community Development Committees and youth organisations are hereby advised to desist from demanding or collecting development levy in their own interest.

However, companies will continue to undertake corporate social responsibility projects within the framework of regulations set by relevant agencies.

A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Orientation & Strategy, Hon. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, revealed that the government expects full compliance.