News

Leaders must be servants, says Diri

BY AHERHOKE OKIOMA, YENAGOA

  • Urges Nigerians to prioritise PVC collection

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has said that the essence of democracy would be lost if leaders fail to be servants to the people.

He made the remark on Sunday while speaking at a non-denominational Democracy Day Service at King of Glory Chapel, Government House, Yenagoa. The governor charged those occupying elective and appointive offices to see themselves as servants while they see the people that gave them the mandate as their masters to whom they are accountable.

A press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that elected or appointed officials should regard such positions of authority as a privilege and a platform to better the lot of the people.

His words: “Today being Democracy Day, we should all be reminded to continue to give service to our people. If you have been elected or appointed into key government offices and positions, you should note that It is only but a privilege.

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri

“In all our actions, we should know that those who have given us the mandate to serve them are our masters and we are their servants. If you make yourselves a demi-god, you are only deceiving yourselves.”

Commenting on the recent attack on the St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo, Diri again condoled with the government and people of the state. He said Bayelsa in solidarity with the government of Ondo State has declared that there would be no Democracy Day celebration.

Describing Bayelsa as a relatively peaceful state, Diri said the state’s security architecture is being repositioned with the signing of the Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps Law to complement the efforts of the various security agencies in the state.

Read Also: ‘Police personnel, not gunmen, occupy Buhari Estate in Lagos’

According to him, over 5,000 youths will be engaged by the Corps headed by Brig-Gen. Eric Angaye (Retd) and trained in all aspects of security to curb criminal activities. He explained that the state-owned complementary security outfits – Bayelsa Vigilante and Bayelsa Volunteers – have been incorporated into the Corps and their personnel would also be trained to make them more effective. Speaking with newsmen shortly after the service, Senator Diri called on all well-meaning Nigerians, particularly the youths, to get their permanent voter cards to be able to participate in the process of electing leaders.

“Nigerians should be ready with their PVCs. The current leadership has visited this country with hunger, poverty, dwindling economy and above all the wanton destruction of lives and property. The people of this country are the only ones that have the solution to all of these. I call on them to free themselves from the current bondage because the PVC is more powerful than the AK-47. The PVC is everything.”

In his sermon, the guest minister and chairman of the state chapter of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria(PFN), Rev. Tam-Seth Eyedoude, said democracy was not in the hands of any single man, court or diviners but rather in the hands of the people. Rev. Eyedoude noted that peace cannot reign without justice just as democracy could not exist without respect for the people’s culture.

Diri read the first lesson of the service from the book of Psalms 142 vs 1-8. Intercessory prayers were also offered for the 2023 general election, the Bayelsa State Government and the Federal Government.

Click on The Trumpet and follow us on our Twitter page for more:

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top button
A note to our visitors

This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with changes to European Union data protection law, for all members globally. We’ve also updated our Privacy Policy to give you more information about your rights and responsibilities with respect to your privacy and personal information. Please read this to review the updates about which cookies we use and what information we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated privacy policy.