Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, yesterday disclosed that he was not the most qualified politician from Kolokuma Opokuma Local Government Area of the state to govern the state, but that God destined him to lead the people of Bayelsa. He, however, lauded the role played by his predecessor, former Governor Seriake Dickson, whom he said against all odds stood his ground in line with the purpose of God to see the manifestation of his prosperity administration.
Speaking at Sampou, his home town, during the eighth edition of the annual Kolga Day thanksgiving, the governor urged the people of Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area to eschew politics of bitterness and to be united in love. Diri, who maintained that rather than to divide themselves, they should take advantage of his administration’s economic policy of being self-reliant in agriculture. The Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor, as saying that the Kolga people should recognise God’s hand in his emergence and seize the opportunity to better their lot. He said: “This is an event for the Kolokuma/ Opokuma people to exude love, unity and peace. Let us not sacrifice our love on the altar of politics. Politics should not be an instrument to divide us. “You are aware that I was one of the apostles of the move to produce a Kolokuma/Opokuma son as governor and for over 10 years, I was in that movement.
I never knew that one day God would say you are the person to lead. “In the same vein, I enjoin other local government areas in the state to have a meeting place to talk about the development of their area. It should not always be what you can get as a person from the government. This is the time for us to build the roads, build the bridges and go into agriculture, trading and business. “What will bring food to the table is agriculture, doing business and having small scale industries. This government is determined to help us move away from relying on politicians and political appointees for assistance.