Bayelsans were taken aback, the hall was filled with mumurs as I observed the listeners tapping themselves in shock.
On the podium were seated, high profile politicians, traditional rulers, civil servants, the governor of Bayelsa state, the Rivers State governor represented by the speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and other top government functionaries, all gathered to celebrate Governor Douye Diri’s five years in office
What ought to be a joyful celebration, suddenly turned into a public display of shame when Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, who hails from Ekeremor town, in Ekeremor Local Government area could openly lied to the audience about the Sagbama/ Ekeremor road.
How could Heineken Lokpobiri, an opposition leader give a totally false account of a road project that commenced while Douye Diri was yet principal secretary to HSD, the then governor of Bayelsa.
In the Honorable Minister’s remarks, he stated in clear terms that five years ago he couldn’t drive to Ekeremor, but it is common knowledge that while Lokpobiri was Minister of State for Agriculture, he drove on that Sagbama/Ekeremor road severally. He even drove to Ebedebiri to commission an agriculture project so why the falsehood, is it for political gains, and does Diri know that his choice of always dinning with the opposition is a slap on his predecossor?
The truth is, the Sagbama/ Ekeremor road which got to and was celebrated in Ekeremor town in 2016 couldn’t have been executed within five years of gov Diri’s government.
The records which everyone knows is that HSD started the road project and executed it up to 75 percent completion before he left office; the current deputy governor can attest to this fact as he was honorable commissioner for works at the time but has chosen to stay mute on the matter.
Heineken Lokpobiri who is seriously preparing to contest the governorship seat come 2027 through his party, is suspected to have formed some kind of alliance with Diri to sell out the PDP.
By Joseph Oyinbrakemi Ebedebiri Town Sagbama Local Government Area