- Says Sylva anti-development
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has alerted security agencies to a plot by the opposition in the state to cause mayhem in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state during the November 11 governorship election.
Diri also accused the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Timipre Sylva, of being anti-development and anti-progress.
The Bayelsa governor, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, spoke at the Ogbia Constituency 2 rally at Otuokpoti after campaign stopped at riverine Anyama-Ogbia and Emadike communities.
He alleged that the opposition was planning to bring in thugs to cause mayhem in Anyama-Ogbia.
Diri said: “This battle is between those who are for and against development. It is between light and darkness. We are talking about your development as individuals and communities.
“Let the world know what they are planning is that in Anyama where we are strong, they are going to bring youths who are not from here, sew them military uniforms and cause mayhem in connivance with one or two people from here. Let the world and the military take note.”
Reeling out projects embarked upon by his administration in the local government, he promised to do more when re-elected into office.
He stressed: “They were in government for five years and what did they do in Ogbia land? Today, we are building a road from Akaba in Yenagoa to Okodi and Emadike. The Otuoke-Onuebum road was destroyed and impassable. But now that road is almost completed.
“Elebele community was cut off and one of the first projects we started was to build that bridge. We did the same with the Imiringi community bridge too.
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“The old bypass to Elebele had a metallic bridge. But we have built a befitting road there. For us, it is how we can develop the state.
“Since we came, we have been teaching the youths how to fish. Today, we have the Diri skills acquisition programme through which thousands of our youths are acquiring skills they can use without begging. Today, we give grant of N200,000 monthly to 420 individuals across the 105 wards in the state to support small and medium scale enterprises.”
At Anyama-Ogbia, the governor stated that the Akaba-Okodi-Emadike road, which had been at the planning stage for several years, is under construction and would soon be completed to enhance economic activities in the area.
He promised to work with relevant agencies to embark on shoreline protection to check the erosion that had ravaged the community when he returns for a second term.