The people of Bayelsa State, southern Nigeria, have another opportunity to hold their governor and other public officials accountable following the inauguration of Governor Douye Diri for a second term in office.
Development Diaries reports that during his swearing-in ceremony for a second term, the governor emphasised that his administration remains committed to the progress and economic advancement of the state.
Bayelsa, though an oil-rich state, is lacking development in various areas, even as it was ranked as one of Nigeria’s poorest states in 2022.
In fact, environmental and infrastructural development are two prominent issues that should dominate the minds of the people of the state.
According to Diri, his administration has developed a five-year economic plan that outlines the strategies and initiatives to diversify and strengthen the state’s economy, create jobs and attract investments.
‘We have developed a comprehensive and ambitious five-year economic plan for the state. This plan outlines our strategies and initiatives to diversify and strengthen our economy, create jobs, attract investments, and improve the standard of living for all Bayelsans’, Governor Diri said.
We can recall that the governor, during his 2021 New Year broadcast message, also vowed that he would create jobs to ensure the youths in the state are actively engaged.
However, the state continues to face numerous development challenges on several fronts.
In its 2022 National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) noted that 89 percent of the estimated 2.5 population of Bayelsa were living in multidimensional poverty, the second highest rate in the country.
Also, looking at the unemployment data from the NBS for 2020, the unemployment rate in Bayelsa stood at 37 percent, above the national average of 34 percent.
The lack of infrastructure in the state limits economic opportunities and hampers the delivery of essential services, such as health care and education, which are crucial for human development.
The people of Bayelsa must begin to demand the fulfillment of the governor’s promises, as this will ensure that he remains responsive to their needs.
To achieve transparency and accountability, the governor and the government of Bayelsa must be honest about their decisions and actions when people demand that promises be fulfilled. This is how to earn public trust and get citizens in large numbers to actively participate in the drive towards sustainable development.
Development Diaries calls on Governor Diri to go beyond restating his promises and ensure his administration allocates more funds to development initiative programmes to boost the state’s economy.
We also urge the governor to ensure that citizens’ right to freedom of expression is respected, just as we urge the government to encourage public participation in governance to stimulate effective policy formulation and service delivery.
Photo source: Douye Diri
