OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF BAYELSA STATE: BARR. IGBETA CALLS ON GOV. DIRI TO CONSIDER SAGBAMA CONSTITUENCY-1 TO SERVE OUT THE REMAINING TENURE.

~ Urge Diri to consider track record, administrative competence, patience and experience in picking Lawrence’s successor.

Public affairs commentator Barr. Ayebakuro Igbeta PhD has joined the call for the nomination of candidate to fill the vacuum in the Bayelsa State Government (that is the office of the Deputy Governor following the final burial of the late occupant Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo). Igbeta joined the Deputy Governor nomination conversation via a statement issued on Tuesday the 3rd of February, wherein he passionately advocated that His Excellency Sen. Douye Diri, the Executive Governor of Bayelsa State should be allowed all the freedom and space to personally pick and nominate to the State House of Assembly a person of his choice to complete the tenure.

The statement as made available to newsmen emphasized that the Late Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo had left behind very huge shoes that cannot be filled by just anybody, and only the Governor who bears the most brunt know exactly what qualities of Lawrence that ensured the smooth and seamless sail of the Prosperity ship this past 6years, thus he alone can identify the man that possessed such qualities that will not only ensure stability in the administration, but also enable him finish strong in this remaining two years of consolidation.

Igbeta in his statement expressed that the office of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State at this critical time requires an individual with vast understanding of the polity and all related issues, such individual must possess formidable understanding of the various aspects of Bayelsa Socio-economic as well as cultural and political nuances to grapple with the daily wave of assorted issues bombarding the deputy governor’s desk. Furthermore, the former IYC Legal Adviser reiterated that the Deputy Governor’s Office is where the government filters trivialities from issues of state concern and thus allow the Governor to concentrate on what matters, while most of the unreal is settled at the deputy governor’s wing, therefore urge governor Diri to take some qualities into consideration when picking successor to his late friend and ally, these qualities according to Igbeta should include but not limited to:

1. Patience as the office requires a lot of patience not just with time, but also at emotional levels and anger management.
2. Administrative/political experience, the person he opined must be vast in administration and politics therefore the Governor’s nominee should possess formidable experience in the triple pillars of administration, governance and politics, such a person must have held both administrative and political offices to strengthen his understanding of the daily maze of issues besorting that office.
3. Agility, the office requires emotional and physical alertness, especially the ability to sit for lengthy hours, unending addressing of multifaceted and usually unrelated issues, Igbeta further urges that the Governor should not pick a man who would crumble under the pressure of such dynamic and challenging environment, just to fulfill a political obligation or pacify some sectional demands.

Barr. Ayebakuro Igbeta PhD, also called on His Excellency, the Governor of Bayelsa State to give primary consideration to the people of Lawrence home constituency Sagbama Constituency-1 to pick his next deputy from. He argued that Sagbama Constituency-1 should be allowed to complete the tenure and compensate the people for the sacrifices of their late son.

The statement went on to call on His Excellency, the Governor to take the time to identify a person from Sagbama Constituency-1 with the right combination of desirable qualities to nominate.

Igbeta concluded with an admission that no two individuals can possess exactly the same qualities, but that in Bayelsa and within the administration, there are men who have toiled alongside the Governor right from the days of the former governor Sen. Dickson, whom when given the chance can reposition the office for effective service delivery and governance, but that the Governor should, while exercising his right of first refusal to nominate his new deputy, consider the men of vast experience and character from Sagbama Constituency-1 within the Prosperity system.