A former security adviser to the Bayelsa state government, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, has urged members of the opposition groups in the state to leave Governor Douye Diri alone and stop distracting his administration with series of litigations against his emergence as governor, saying such litigations are causing distractions and promoting unnecessary tension in the state.
According to Kpodoh, though every litigant has the constitutional right to seek redress in competent Court, the recent litigations challenging the miraculous emergence of Governor Douye Diri is distracting the administration from setting up a team of commissioners, embarked on infrastructural development plan and ensure that his promises to the people are delivered as and when due.
Chief Kpodoh, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Sagbama local government area of the state, while reacting to the series of litigations and claims made by the opposition groups against the present administration, called on politicians in the state to stop being used by the enemies of the state urging them to focus on the weighty issues that impact on the lives of the people.
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Kpodoh, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, cautioned the litigants at the election petition tribunal to, as a matter of civic duty, stop the plot to repeat the 2008 disgraceful election verdict that dragged the state back in million fold in terms of needed development and not be used to drag the hardworking Governor Douye Diri into their smear anti-development plot.
According to Kpodoh: ”Litigation is everybody’s right but those involved should look at the position of the state in terms of development. If everyone involved can come together and settle themselves and allow the present governor to do his best.
“These litigants can wait and strategize for 2023. They should come and become practical critics that will put the present administration on its toes and join in the development of the state. If we are able to relax and support Governor Diri, we will go somewhere. Bayelsa needs development.”
“When we fight, there can be no progress. Understanding, however, brings progress and development. The better we understand ourselves and know what we are looking for. Are we just looking for power? Or are we looking for the improvement of our state? We keep on spending our hard earned money on litigations and lawyers ignorantly because we needed power.
“I think it is time for us to take the interest of the state as our paramount concern. Look at Ebonyi state. Do they have oil? But see the kind of projects going on in the state. It is going on because the governor is free to focus on issues of Ebonyi people welfare and infrastructural development. Development is happening because the governor is not distracted and he is free to work.
“In Bayelsa, they have insistently dragged Douye Diri and his deputy here and there. Though they also came into office through issues of litigation, but are we going to look at that and throw away the baby with the bath water. Sometimes, we allow certain things go. Because our paramount concern is to allow Bayelsa develop more than this glorified local government outlook. We should think of doing our best and relax to let the man do his job.”
On the part of Governor Douye Diri, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, called on him to also find a way to reach out to those aggrieved from the last election and reduce the tension created by these series of litigation, saying “let him start to embark on development works. He started well by demolishing illegal structures and shanties. He should start to work and let the people start to see the input of his administration.
“Despite the litigations, the Bayelsa people who are beneficiaries of his works, will start asking those involved in litigations to stop and withdraw it. Those placed demolished should be enclosed and work should start and let the people see it. Let him start completing those ones left over by the last administration and let the people see the city capital change. Let Governor Diri light up the state capital and don’t sorely depend on PHED.”
“He should re-activate a new security architecture and ensure that the Nigerian Police and its various units are motivated with logistics and vehicles to reduce the noticeable security breaches in some parts of the State. Douye Diri should discourage these litigants by embarking on massive development plan in the state. ”
“He should initiate “quick win” projects to encourage youths to be involved in construction supplies. He should also discourage those tagged “consultants” from outside the state. We have intelligent persons that can handle issues rather than allow these non-Bayelsan consultants to promote confusion in the state. They should go to their state and do consultancy. It is time for Bayelsa to use our own materials and develop human capacity development.”
