An Open Letter to His Excellency, Governor Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State

Dear Governor Diri,
Your Excellency, I write to express my profound disappointment with the current state of affairs in our beloved State. While I acknowledge the challenges you face, we believe your administration has fallen short of the expectations of the people, particularly in delivering tangible value despite the significant resources accruing to the state.

Your recent statement urging the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to collaborate with the state government before embarking on projects, while seemingly aimed at avoiding competition, appears to be a thinly veiled attempt to limit the NDDC's ability to fulfill its mandate in Bayelsa. I implore you to reconsider this stance.

The NDDC was established to address the developmental needs of the Niger Delta region, and Bayelsa State, as an integral part of this region, deserves its fair share of the agency's resources and interventions. I sincerely encourage a healthy competition between the NDDC and other development partners including the State Government.

The people of Bayelsa are yearning for tangible improvements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. They are tired of empty promises and unfulfilled aspirations. The NDDC, with its mandate to develop the region, has the potential to bring about much-needed change. We urge you to allow the NDDC to operate freely and effectively in our state, without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles or attempts to control the activities of NDDC.

Let me remind Your Excellency, Governor Diri that during the NDDC Stakeholders Summit in Port Harcourt you said publicly in your address that if the Federal Ministry of Works cannot work on the East-West road, the mandate should be given to the NDDC. Why now is the same governor seeing the NDDC as a competitor in project execution? For those who know, the mandate of NDDC covers nine States, and no one State can contemplate obstructing the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu.

I hereby call upon the youths, women, and community leaders of Bayelsa State to resist any attempt by the state government to limit the performance of the NDDC in our state. We must stand united in demanding accountability and transparency from our leaders and ensure that the resources meant for our development are utilized effectively. Bayelsa government's slow pace of project execution should not dampen the spirit of NDDC.EVOKING an atmosphere of competition is retrogressive.

A broad spectrum of Bayelsans believe that a collaborative approach, where the state government works in tandem with the NDDC, can yield significant benefits for Bayelsa. However, this collaboration must be genuine and not a means to stifle the NDDC's autonomy and effectiveness. The NDDC under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku has given a good account of itself in terms of corporate governance, infrastructure and deliverables as quick impact projects across the nine mandate States of the Region. The Commission, to the best of my knowledge is conversant with the developmental challenges facing the region and I know that the NDDC is conscious of the priority needs of the people.

I implore you, Governor Diri, to prioritize the needs of the people of Bayelsa State. We urge you to work with the NDDC to ensure that the agency's resources are channeled towards projects that will benefit our communities and create a brighter future for our children. In discharging it's mandate, it cannot be bogged down by unprogressive bureaucratic bottlenecks.For more than three months, Bayelsa State is in darkness. The prolonged power BLACKOUT is a product of lack of planning on the part of the Bayelsa State government to provide alternative sources of poverty supply.

I am hopeful that our voices will be heard and that our leaders will act in the best interests of the people of Bayelsa State.

Sincerely,
Hon. Victor Inodunimi Isaiah
Former Executive Chairman,
Brass Local Government Chairman