By Correspondent in Abuja.
A Niger Delta ex-agitator, Endurance Amagbein, has urged Bayelsa State Governor, Sen.Douye Diri, to be a father to all and work toward resolving the lingering crisis within the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Amagbein made the call in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday while congratulating Governor Diri on his recent appointment as the South-South Coordinator of the National Steering Committee for the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He commended President Tinubu for finding Governor Diri worthy of the appointment, describing it as well-deserved and timely.
Amagbein, a self-styled General, popularly known as Adaka Boro the Second, described the appointment as “a square peg in a square hole,” expressing confidence that it would bring meaningful development closer to the grassroots through sustainable community-based projects and interventions.
He said: “Governor Diri is more concerned with grassroots development than politics. I have no doubt that under his coordination, the Renewed Hope Programme will have far-reaching effects on communities across the South-South.”
The ex-agitator noted that Diri’s appointment would further empower him to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people, adding that his five years in office had been marked by deliberate efforts to develop rural communities in Bayelsa State.
“Despite what anyone may say, no one can deny that Governor Diri is not playing politics with the development of Bayelsa State. He is committed to completing the three senatorial roads so that every community can be accessible by road,” Amagbein said.
He also congratulated the governor for officially joining the APC on Monday and urged him to reconcile aggrieved party members, just as he did during his leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“In 2019/2020, many people were aggrieved and left the PDP, but when Douye Diri became governor, he united the party and brought everyone together. Those who had vowed never to return came back happily — that’s the kind of leader he is,” Amagbein said.
He expressed optimism that Diri’s entry into the APC would mark the beginning of unity and peace within the party.
“In the APC, there have been factions and parallel leaderships for years, with internal court cases and divisions. Now that Diri has joined, his first task should be to bring all stakeholders together and reconcile everyone, just as he did in the PDP. That’s the only way lasting peace and progress can come to our state,” Amagbein added.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
