Glorydrive Phase 3 Road Progresses! The Government of Assured Prosperity is committed to the urbanisation of the state capital with the expansion of Yenagoa City through the ongoing construction of the Glorydrive Phase 3 Road from the Airport/Tombia/Amassoma road to the Imgbi junction in Amarata. I am satisfied with the progress of work and I feel excited that the project will be completed soon. A new Bayelsa is truly emerging!

2026 Prosperity Cup: Congratulations Okoroma FC, Active Ladies It was an exciting grassroots football cracker this evening in the final of the male version of the 2026 Prosperity Football Cup at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Ovom, Yenagoa with Okoroma United FC of Nembe LGA emerging as the new champion. Alongside my Deputy, His Excellency, Dr. Peter Akpe, other distinguished guests and football lovers, we were entertained to a good football artistry by the two teams- Okoroma United of Okoroma from Nembe Local Government Area and Akinima/Biogbo of Ogboloma, Yenagoa Local Government Area. I am also glad with the report that the final of the female version was interesting with the Active Ladies of Agudama, defeating the Afini Ladies of Amarata. Again, let me appreciate the organisers for the sustenance of the competition and all our corporate sponsors for their contribution to the socio-economic development of the state parties, the youth. Thank you to our lead sponsor, Dr. Emmanuel Efe Emefienim, the Managing Director/CEO, Premium Trust Bank for your continued partnership. Let me equally acknowledge the partnership between the organisers and FC Barcelona of Spain, in the development of talents from this competition. While I congratulate the 227 participating male teams and the 21 female teams in the tournament, our Government of Assured Prosperity will continue to use sporting activities to drive youth development.

Today, I had the honour of receiving my Brother-Governor of Taraba State, H.E. Agbu Kefas, alongside his longtime friend, High Chief Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo (Tompolo) and other respected leaders and stakeholders at Government House, Yenagoa. This visit is a strong reminder that beyond politics and differing perspectives, we remain bound by a shared heritage, identity, and deep friendship as a people. I do appreciate the collaboration between Bayelsa and Taraba states in the collective interest of our people. I truly welcome this show of solidarity and brotherhood. It is through unity, mutual respect, and continuous engagement that we can preserve our values, strengthen our voice, and secure a better future for our people. Now more than ever, we must remain committed to fostering peace, collaboration, and inclusiveness across our communities. Together, we are stronger.

Historic 630m Angiama-Oporoma Bridge! Wow! What a great news! What an audacious journey…. The completion of the 630-metre Angiama-Oporoma bridge across the famous River Nun, along ongoing Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road project, is historic; it is a testament to sheer resilience.

Today in Asaba, Delta State, I joined other leaders and South-South delegates of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, for the Zonal Congress, where we elected our new zonal executive committee members. Let me appreciate our leader, the Senate President, Chief Godswill Akpabio, my Brother-Governors, members of the National Assembly for the renewed unity among the leaders and the strong resolve of the zone to ensure massive support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR in the 2027 general election. Great thanks to our host, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, for the hospitality. Once again, I say congratulations to the 8-member Zonal Executive led by its National Vice Chairman, Chief Victor Giadom from Rivers State. Nua!

630 metres Angiama Bridge construction nearing completion. It was historic today as Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, ESV Moses Teibowei witnessed the commencement of the launching of beams for the last phase of the bridge across River Nun.

My 2026 budget proposal presentation to the State House of Assembly.

This morning, I laid before Honourable members of the State House of Assembly, our 2026 budget proposal of Nine Hundred and Ninety-Eight Billion, Three Hundred and Seventy-One Million, Three Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Nine Hundred and Forty-Three Naira, Four Kobo only(N998,371,313,943.04) to further advance the frontier of development in our dear State of Bayelsa. Our 2026 Appropriation Bill, tagged “Budget of Assured Prosperity II,” is designed to advance the shared purpose that drives our march towards a greater Bayelsa. Let me appreciate The Rt. Hon. Mr. Speaker, the leadership of the House and all members for their continued support and partnership in our collective desire to birth a new, united, peaceful and prosperous Bayelsa State. I am happy to announce that the 2025 Appropriation Law recorded an impressive 73 per cent performance of spending and the results of our huge capital expenditures have been made manifest with several of our ongoing legacy projects. For the second year running, we have produced a 2026 budget document where allocation for capital expenditures is substantially higher than the recurrent. This is very strategic to our sustained development agenda. In the proposal, we have Six Hundred and Forty-Five Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty-Seven Million, Twelve Thousand, Two Hundred and Eighty-One Naira, Fifteen Kobo (N645,257,012,281.15) representing 64.6% of the total sum for capital projects while recurrent stands at N353,114,301,661.90 representing 35.4%. As a government, we will invest more in roads and infrastructure construction, education, health, sports development, skills acquisition and the power sector. In line with our commitment to provide new infrastructure within the metropolis, the 2026 budget proposal has made provision for potable water. Conclusively, we will strengthen the power sector to drive socio-economic growth, and access to potable water should never be a luxury but a basic and readily available necessity. That is why our administration has resolved to address this long-standing challenge through the construction of water reticulation lines in Yenagoa. These and more are what this 2026 budget of Assured Prosperity II hopes to address.

Bayelsa industrialisation: Gov. Diri welcomes Innoson motors

Today, during the 173rd session of the Bayelsa State Executive Council meeting, I received the report of the Opu-Nembe (Bassambiri) Peace Steering Committee led by retired Vice Admiral Victor Ombu. I want to sincerely appreciate Admiral Ombu and the committee members for their tireless effort toward restoring lasting peace in Bassambiri, Nembe Local Government Area. Your service to our state and commitment to reconciliation will forever be remembered in the history of that community. To further strengthen the ongoing peace efforts, I have directed AITEO Exploration and Production Company Limited to remit all funds due to the Bassambiri community to the Peace Steering Committee in accordance with my earlier directive. The company has one month to comply fully with no excuses, and no delays. I have also directed the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure to immediately assess the proposed link road to the community from the Unity bridge and submit a report within two weeks for necessary action. I have shelved every element of partisan politics in resolving this age-long intractable crises and I urge every leader in the community to embrace the peace and reconciliation process which has brought some reliefs including the return of those away back home. Our Government of Assured Prosperity remains steadfast in its mission to build peace, promote unity, and advance development across every part of Bayelsa State.

This afternoon, I had the pleasure of receiving a high-level delegation from the State of Africa in Diaspora, led by its Prime Minister, H.E. Dr. Louise-George Tin, at the Government House in Yenagoa. Our discussions centered on strengthening the partnership between Bayelsa State and the State of Africa in Diaspora in key sectors, such as healthcare, the expansion of Bayelsa International Airport, the development of a smart city, and other critical areas of growth and innovation. Just as we discussed in our previous meeting, I expressed our readiness to explore mutually beneficial collaborations that will accelerate development and improve the quality of life of our citizens. I am particularly delighted that Bayelsa is the first state in Nigeria to host this engagement. This reaffirms our commitment to building bridges beyond borders and attracting global partnerships that align with our Prosperity Agenda. Our vision remains clear, to position Bayelsa as a hub of progress, connectivity, and sustainable development.

Good morning Bayelsans, We are getting closer to the Atlantic Ocean through the Brass Island. The Nembe-Brass road construction is well on course. Thank you all for believing in our Government of Assured Prosperity.

Bayelsa@29: Beyond Words, Diri Delivering Big Selflessly! The Glorydrive Phase 3 within the state capital is nearing completion and will soon link up with the bridge at Imgbi junction.

This morning, our investments drive received a major boost with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Dubai-based company, Jampur Group to set up renewable energy (solar power) and smart electricity metering production plants in Bayelsa State. This is purely a private-sector driven investment worth $3m by Jampur, the same company that is responsible for the supply and installation of the 60MW gas turbines for our ongoing Independent Power Plant Project expected to be ready by the end of this year. I feel very excited that while these projects will create new job opportunities and skills to our people, it will also boost industrialisation drive in the State. Let me appreciate the chairman of Jampur Group, Mohammed Shafiq, for the partnership with Bayelsa State Government. For us as government, we are committed to provide the enabling environment and security to ensure the new investment thrives.

Today, I defied the rains to inspect a number of our ongoing developmental projects across the State. In the company of the Leader of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Monday Bubou Obolo, Honourable Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Moses Teibowei, and others, I visited Angiama community to see the progress of work on the 630 metres long bridge across the River Nun taking us to Oporoma town, headquarters of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and Otuan community. I equally drove on the asphalted sections of the roads to Oporoma and Otuan communities. Other projects visited were the ongoing Angiama-Eniwari road, the Polaku-Sabagreia road/bridge, the new 25,000 capacity stadium in Igbogene, GloryDrive Phase 3, Imgbi link bridge, the iconic 9-Storey Secretariat, and the road linking the New Yenagoa City to the Amassoma-Airport road. I am impressed with progress of work so far, trusting that our various contractors will deliver their respective projects on schedule for the use of the good people of the state.

In our resolve to achieve food security, today, I held a strategic meeting with Local Government Chairmen on the urgent need to embark on large-scale agricultural production. I used the opportunity of the meeting to emphasize the need for each local government area to identify and harness its areas of comparative advantage in agriculture such as rice, plantain, cassava, fruits and vegetables, poultry, aquaculture etc. I clearly reiterated that the time has come for Bayelsa to take ownership of its food economy, stressing that a local government-led agricultural revolution is not just desirable but inevitable. Our Government of Assured Prosperity will provide enabling policies, access to funding, and technical support through the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as well as other relevant ministries as Lands and Survey and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to achieve set goals. Bayelsa State has all it takes to feed her people.

Happy New Week Bayelsans! During the weekend in Yenagoa, I joined other critical stakeholders in the South-South region for a public hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution by the House of Representatives’ Committee led by Prof. (Hon.) Julius Ihonvbere. At the meeting specifically called for the three states of Bayelsa, Delta, and Edo, I firmly held on to my position that the current constitution, the way it is structured, cannot guarantee the political and economic growth of Nigeria, particularly the oil-rich South-South region. In the submission of Bayelsa State presented by our Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Biriyai Dambo, SAN, we have put forward the recommendations for a true practice of fiscal federalism, the establishment of state police, and the need for immediate reforms in our electoral and judicial systems. In proposing the restructuring of the country based on the principles of fiscal federalism, Bayelsa canvassed full control of all natural resources located onshore and offshore the federating states, and that 40 per cent tax be paid to the federal government while states retain 60 per cent of the revenue from their resources. Also, Bayelsa State has made a request for the creation of 25 additional local government areas separate from the existing eight in the state to correct the years of injustice done to the state. In my considered view, the creation and management of Local Government Areas should rest with the State Government and not the Federal Government. Again, I find it ridiculous that the country is faced with the ritual of constitutional amendments since the return to democratic rule in 1999 without the implementation of recommendations from previous processes. I am however, hopeful that the current President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, being a democrat will work closely with the leadership of the National Assembly to ensure implementation that will give Nigerians a constitution that will truly represent the wishes and aspirations of the people and bring justice to all the segments of Nigeria. ~ SDD

facebook.com/share/p/195iuZp… Bayelsa On The Move! Since 2020 when the current Prosperity Administration of Senator Douye Diri and Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo came into office, it has been forward movement in different sectors.

I join the Nigerian football family to mourn the passing of our legendary Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai. I send my condolences to his immediate family, the Nigeria Football Federation and his colleagues. Rufai, fondly called, ‘Dodo Mayana’ a member of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations winning Super Eagles team would be remembered for his great days wearing the national colours at both the African championships and the World Cup tournaments held in USA in 1994 and in France in 1998. Sleep on our football icon!

Happy New Month Bayelsans! I welcome you all to July, 2025 and may this month bring you abundant blessings and prosperity.