Dimie Peres Jonah

A Grassroot politician in ward eleven Sagbama Local government Area of Bayelsa State.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

Today, I celebrate every child on the occasion of the 2026 National Children’s Day, with our commitment to promote their rights, prioritise their welfare, and provide them with quality education.

As a father myself, I fully appreciate the heavy responsibility of raising children with honour, ensuring they uphold discipline and strong moral values.

With the theme: “Future Now: Promoting Inclusion for Every Nigerian Child”, our Government of Assured Prosperity has continued to invest massively in programmes and projects that directly impact our teeming youthful population.

We are very deliberate in building the future of the children with our educational innovation including the shift in the secondary curriculum to skills-based studies, which has led to the establishment of science, technical and vocational colleges across the State.

We are progressively building a virile state where every child can access equal opportunities, dream boldly, grow safely, and thrive without discrimination.

As a government, we are very conscious of the fact that children are the pride of this great State. and our nation’s most valuable investment. They truly represent the future.

As we honour them on this special children’s day, may God continue to protect you for a greater future ahead. I say a hearty congratulations to you all!

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

This afternoon, in the company of my wife, Dr. Gloria, I joined my Brother-Governor of Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti, in Umuahia to pay my last respects to a great Nigerian, a legend, and one of the most revered fathers of faith in the country, the late Rev. (Dr.) Umah Ukpai.

Let me appreciate Governor Otti, for honouring Dr. Ukpai, with a state burial in recognition of his contribution to the growth of the body of Christ in Nigeria and beyond.

My presence at the funeral service was to celebrate the legacies and life of impact of this great man of God who was a good friend of Bayelsa State.

Once again, on behalf of the Government and people of Bayelsa State, I extend my condolences to the immediate and extended families, including leaders of the body of faith in the country, for the loss.

Adieu Rev. Ukpai! Rest on!

[Bayelsa Government New Media @Prosperitygov]

Gov Diri, Lawmakers, Sportsmen, Others Honour Late Bayelsa Dep Gov

Activities to honour the legacies of the departed Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, kicked off on Tuesday with a variety of sporting events at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

It was a great meeting of the stakeholders of our great party, The APC today to kick start the e-registration of the members.

We equally seized the occasion to endorse our dear President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for another term in office.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

Today, I received members of the Deputy Governors Forum of Nigeria led by the Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ossai, who came on a condolence visit over the demise of my Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Ph.D.

I am particularly touched by the great testimonies of the visiting Deputy Governors on their cordial relationship and friendship with the late Ewhrudjakpo.

It was also nice to note that our late Deputy Governor was an active member of their forum.

Late Lawrence truly served the state meritoriously and this much I had acknowledged at every opportunity.

Let me appreciate the forum for the visit and assure them that this government will continue to honour the legacies of Senator Ewhrudjakpo.

Also today, I received Nigerian businessman, Chief Cosmas Maduka, President/CEO of Coscharis Group and a delegation of the Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide under the leadership of Comrade Jonathan Lokpobiri, who came to condole with the government and the Ewhrudjakpo family.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

Following the sad news of the demise of my dear Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, I had to cut short my official trip outside the state to attend to the incident.

Last night, I led a delegation of top government officials to visit Her Excellency, Mrs. Beatrice Ewhrudjakpo, the widow, and other family members at their official residence at the Government House, Yenagoa.

Accompanied by my wife, Gloria, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abraham Ingobere, the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd), and others, I shared with everyone present the word of comfort and gave assurances from the Government that, we will stand with the family at this time.

I reminded the wife and the family of my close relationship with the late Deputy Governor since our paths crossed under the immediate past administration and particularly, our time together in the trenches before the Supreme Court declaration that brought us to office in 2020.

In our almost six years in office, I saw in him a very resourceful partner who is committed to our collective aspiration for the development of our dear state. He will be greatly missed.

Indeed, I am saddened by this unfortunate incident but we must take solace in God that He allowed this to happen. Our government will interface with the family on the burial programmes to honour our departed faithful.

Once again, on behalf of my family, and the Government of Bayelsa State, I extend my deepest condolences to the wife, children, immediate family, the people of Ofoni Federated community, His Excellency, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, and the people of the state for this irreparable loss.

May God comfort us all.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

This afternoon, alongside the family members of our late Deputy Governor, Sen. Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, I received our leader, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, Nigeria’s former President and his entourage in Government House, Yenagoa on a condolence visit over the unfortunate incident.

I wish to acknowledge his uncommon leadership and appreciate him for the visit and his kind words on the life of service lived by the late Deputy Governor.

Truly, I agree with Dr. Jonathan’s description of Senator Ewhrudjakpo as a humble man who distinguished himself in the service to our dear state.

Thank you our leader for also making a visit to the residence of the departed to condole with the widow, Her Excellency, Mrs. Beatrice Ewhrudjakpo and the family.

[Bayelsa Government New Media @Prosperitygov]

World Food Day: Gov Diri encourages Bayelsa farmers.

[Dimie Peres Jonah @Dimieperes]

Family👨‍👩‍👦❤️😍
Marriage guest🥂
Congratulations, Mr & Mrs Lovely Afamukoro✅

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

Happy New Week Bayelsans!

This morning, I am restating my call for a national dialogue on Local Government administration in Nigeria.

The call is timely for us in Bayelsa State to enable our government create the numbers of LGAs we can effectively cater for.

While I acknowledge the interest of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, in repositioning local government administration in the country, this national dialogue will examine the process for creation, the structure, functions, and funding for the councils.

It is unfair to retain the eight LGAs status for a state that is contributing huge resources to the nation’s economy and I do not expect that the Federal Government should ‘sit’ in Abuja to create LGAs for us!

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

Today, I joined the Chairmen, workers and union members in the Local Government Councils, the President-General of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees(NULGE), Comrade Aliyu Haruna Kankara and the President of Medical and Health Workers' Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Dr. Kabiru Ado Sani Minjibir, to celebrate success in the Local Government administration and welfare of workers in Bayelsa State.

It is with profound joy that I announce that all Local Government workers' pensions, gratuities, and death benefits, amounting to N12 Billion, including arrears before my administration, have been cleared.

In line with the reforms we introduced when we came into office in 2020 and under the able supervision of the Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, we have birthed a new and working Local Government system in Bayelsa State where LGA Chairmen not only promptly pay monthly salaries but save enough funds to embark on capital projects.

With our new pension reforms, after clearing all outstanding pensions, gratuities, and death benefits, and with the digital processing system now in place, every retiree in the eight Local Government Areas will henceforth, receive their benefits immediately they leave service.

Indeed, all bottlenecks in processing payment of pensions have been dismantled and today, thirty persons who retired across the eight LGAs in August, 2025, have been paid their benefits.

Let me appreciate and congratulate all workers in the Local Government for their support of the various initiatives which earned me an award today from the national leadership of NULGE and MHWUN.

While I agree that Bayelsa State has become a model for Local Government administration in Nigeria for not touching their allocated funds, I have called for a national dialogue to examine the structure, functions and funding of local government councils to understand the challenges and the potential for reforms.

My views about LG administration, its structure and modes of creation that tend to undermine the legal authorities of state governments in a federal system remain the same, particularly for us in Bayelsa with just eight LGAs recognised by the Nigerian Constitution.

It is an injustice for a state that is contributing huge resources to the nation’s economy to be assigned eight LGAs while the State Government is legally constrained from creating additional local government areas.

[Bayelsa Government New Media @Prosperitygov]

Bayelsa clears LG pension arrears as Gov. Diri bags award.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

Yesterday evening, I made a surprise stop at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa to watch the first home game of Bayelsa United FC in the 2025/26 Nigeria Premier Football League season against Barau FC of Kano.

I was thrilled by the performance of the Prosperity Boys, who won by 2 goals to nothing under Coach Monday Odigie, the club's new Technical Adviser.

Just as I acknowledged Bayelsa United’s away win in Ibadan against 3SC, I challenged our team to go for the league trophy this season, and this government will continue to support the players and officials in achieving this feat.

[Dimie Peres Jonah @Dimieperes]

Skills Development: Otiki Gbodo Foundation Graduates 150 Trainees, Empowers them with Starter Packs. ~ Commendable gesture!

God replenish your pocket.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

Today in Lagos, I joined my colleague, the Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, to bid farewell to a fine officer and statesman, Late Navy Captain Caleb Omoniyi Olubolade (Rtd.), the former Military Administrator of Bayelsa State.

During the funeral service this morning at St. John’s Military Protestant Church, Bonny Cantonment, I recalled the legacies and exemplary lifestyle of the late Olubolade, who served Bayelsa State and the country with dignity, passion, and love.

He was not just an Ekiti man but a true Bayelsan and that is the reason I led a large delegation to Lagos State for the burial programme.

I have already made a pronouncement to acknowledge his dedication and service to our people by naming the Civil Servants Quarters in Yenagoa, which he built as the Military Administrator after him.

On behalf of the Government and people of the State, we extend our deepest condolences to the wife, the children, the family members, the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and the people of Ekiti State for this great loss.

May God rest his soul!

[Bayelsa Government New Media @Prosperitygov]

His Excellency, Gov. Douye Diri, yesterday visited some ongoing projects and has assured the completion of the projects.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

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.

[Governor Douye Diri @govdouyediri]

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

[Dimie Peres Jonah @Dimieperes]

@FrankKhalidUK Lampard

[Bayelsa Government New Media @Prosperitygov]

https://t.co/uIZGXmna8j

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.