*Former VP Osinbajo To Inaugurate Road Project
From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has said the state’s independent power project was on course, dismissing insinuations of its failure.
A 60mw gas-fired turbines plant installed by the Governor Diri administration to provide 24-hour electricity in the state was one of the projects commissioned on April 10, 2026 by President Bola Tinubu.
The Bayelsa governor, however, explained that the plant was undergoing finishing touches that required installation of some critical devices to safeguard the project and the state’s investment in the power sector.
A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said the governor gave the explanation on Thursday during the weekly Prosperity Walk at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa and appealed to residents of the state to be patient.
While assuring that the process would soon be completed, Senator Diri frowned at those who chose to play politics with the power project.
He said: “We know that the people of Bayelsa will never forget the gas turbine project. But some of our people are talking about time and darkness. There is nothing like darkness. Those who want to play politics can do so but we will do what we know is right for our state and our people.
”As a government, we want our people to be free from darkness. So, whatever you are seeing are the final finishing touches after the commissioning. Certain protective devices must be placed on the turbines so that when they start operation, they will not be affected.
”Immediately the protective devices are fully installed, the turbines will come on to the shame of those who want darkness as they didn’t want the turbines at all.
”From the beginning, they said we will fail. Now we have surprised them and they are not happy.“
Governor Diri equally rapped those who claim to be political fathers but do not want their sons to grow politically.
He said only bad fathers act that way, and urged political leaders to exercise restraint in their actions and comments as these send out the wrong signals to their followers.
According to the Bayelsa helmsman, political fathers should pray for their successors to do better than them as that was the wish of a good father for his children.
“A good father prays for his child to succeed more than him. So every political father should pray for his successors to do better than him. A father who prays for his son not to do better than him is a bad father.”
He also disclosed that the immediate past vice president, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, would visit the state on Monday, April 20, 2026 to inaugurate the Oxbow Lake-Agbura Road.
He said the former VP, who performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the Angiama-Oporoma Bridge, would visit the project after its commissioning by President Tinubu.
