Stop junketing, face governance, Sylva’s aide criticises Diri

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Mr Julius Bokoru, Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to Chief Timipre Sylva has raised the alarm over multiple local and foreign trips by Gov Douye Diri of Bayelsa.

Bokoru, who spoke on Sunday in Yenagoa described Diri as a junketing governor saying he had abandoned governance.

Referring the Diri as a globetrotter, Bokoru said the governor was constantly looking out for any opportunity to jet out of Bayelsa saying that his knack for traveling had drilled a big hole in the state’s resources.

Bokoru observed that since after the 2023 governorship election, Diri had been restlessly visiting different places outside the state for his selfish interest.

He said it never bordered the governor that the people of the state were facing hardship and needed government deliberate policies and programmes to ameliorate their plight.

He said: “While serious governors are thinking out of the box rolling out programmes to reduce the high cost of living and still embarking on legacy projects, Diri has been globetrotting.

“The Bayelsa governor has been looking for every opportunity to jet out of the state. He has become a fun-seeking governor; he has been fiddling while Rome burns.

“We challenge Diri to reel out real humanitarian interventions that his government has embarked upon to assist the Federal Government in confronting the economic hardship in the state.

“Even when Federal Government sends palliatives to states, the people of Bayelsa under Diri don’t even know what happened to their own share of the palliatives. We understand that most them are diverted to entertain burial guests.

“Diri is no doubt one of the governors making things difficult for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is hellbent and fixated in driving negative narratives against the President because we understand that there is a plot to make him the running mate of Alh. Atiku Abubakar in the next presidential election.”

Bokoru said Diri had become a permanent resident on Abuja as he strived to meet different people in his bid to manipulate justice in the case between him and Chief Timipre Sylva, which is currently at the appeal court.

He said: “He is rather seen routinely in Abuja in money-laden convoys, Bayelsa Tax Payers monies, attempting to induce judiciary characters in light of the ongoing court case.

“Our judiciary cannot and will not be bought. Ordinary Bayelsans need those monies for roads, electricity, education, food, transportation and sustenance. If those monies had been well utilized, this frenzied movement would have been unnecessary.”