Enough With Your Junketing, Face Governance, Sylva’s Aide Slams Governor Diri

Hon. Julius Bokoru, Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has criticised Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri’s numerous local and foreign trips, urging the governor to face governance and stop junketing.

Bokoru, who spoke in Yenagoa over the weekend, described Governor Diri as a “junketing governor,” claiming he had abandoned governance.

Bokoru claimed that the governor was constantly looking for ways to leave his state, and that his penchant for travel had drained the state’s coffers.

Bokoru claimed that since the 2023 governorship election, Diri had been visiting various locations outside the state for his own selfish reasons.

He stated that the governor was unconcerned about the state’s citizens’ hardships and the need for government policies and programmes to alleviate their situation.

He stated, “While serious governors are thinking outside the box and implementing programmes to reduce the high cost of living while also embarking on legacy projects, Diri has been globetrotting.

“The Bayelsa governor has been looking for every opportunity to leave the state. He has become a pleasure-seeking governor, fiddling while Rome burns.

“We challenge Diri to provide evidence of genuine humanitarian interventions undertaken by his government to assist the Federal Government in dealing with the state’s economic hardship.

“Even when the Federal Government sends palliatives to states, the people of Bayelsa under Diri have no idea what happened to their portion of the palliatives. We understand that most of them are diverted to entertain funeral guests.

“Diri is undoubtedly one of the governors making life difficult for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He is hellbent and fixated on spreading negative narratives about the President because we believe there is a plot to make him the running mate of Alh. Atiku Abubakar in the next presidential election,” he said.

Bokoru emphasised that Governor Diri had become a permanent resident of Abuja as he sought to meet with various people in order to manipulate justice in the case involving him and Chief Timipre Sylva, which is currently before the appeal court.

“He is rather seen routinely in Abuja in money-laden convoys, Bayelsa Tax Payers’ funds, attempting to induce judiciary characters in light of the ongoing court case.”

‘Our judiciary cannot and will not be purchased. Ordinary Bayelsans require the funds for roads, electricity, education, food, transportation, and sustenance. If those funds had been used wisely, this frenzy would not have occurred.