Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed concern over the
arming of civilians by politicians during elections in the country, with the
intention of manipulating the electoral process.
Senator Diri stated this on Sunday during a special retirement thanksgiving
service in honor of Air vice Marshal Nelson Calm day at the Living Faith Church
of God at Akenfa-Epie, Yenagoa.
Senator Diri, who said the development portends grave danger to the country's
electoral system, noted that as a result of the trend, there was a general
notion that the game of politics was synonymous with violence, corruption and
dishonesty.
The governor said most decent people dread politics because of such notion.
He, however, dismissed the perception and rather encouraged such people,
particularly Christians, to get actively involved in politics towards sanitizing
the electoral system.
Diri stressed the need for all stakeholders to join hands to work together to
change the narrative for the sake of posterity.
He said: “Politics actually should be played by decent and honest people, who
are ready to serve and protect the interest of the people.
"How long will Africans continue to play politics of violence, brigandage
and impunity as if we are in the Stone Age? We should learn to rise above such
antics in our electoral system.
“In sane climes, elections take place peacefully without violence. Should we
hand over this state to a group of gangsters; people who think the state
belongs to them?”
Senator Diri, who also attended a thanksgiving service/children dedication of
the member representing Yenagoa/Kolokuma Federal Constituency in the House of
Representatives, Hon. Oforji Oboku, at the Church of God Mission, Yenizuegene,
also condemned the incidence of vote-buying during elections.
The governor said: "There is what we call poverty of the mind apart from
poverty of the pocket. There is also integrity in poverty. When your mind is
intact, nobody will influence you with little money.
"You have tested our government, which says we will not use any organ to
kill anybody. We want our state to be peaceful; we want our state to develop.
You are seeing it, but on the day of election, you collect money to vote for
those who do not mean well for the state. Those you do not see until election
season and afterwards they disappear."
In his remarks, Hon. Oforji Oboku revealed that he has a cordial relationship
with the governor and has supported him from when he contested election into
the House of Representatives, Senate and the governorship.
He appreciated Governor Diri for reciprocating the goodwill he gets from
supporters.
Speaking during the unveiling of his hospitality facility, AVM Calm day thanked
the governor for the relative peace in the state, saying that Bayelsa was one
of the safest states to invest in the country.
The retired Air Force officer attributed his successful completion of 38 years
of service and the facility to God, who he said saw him through several
difficult moments.
Mr. Daniel Alabrah
Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor
Sunday, January 28, 2024
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