Additional 15 Commissioners has been sworn in Bayelsa state by the Governor, Senator Douye Diri, who also created two new ministries, named Blue Economy and that of Special Duties (General Services), that is in charge of non- indigene affairs, making it a total twenty nine Commissioners.
Diri explained that, the new created Ministry of Blue Economy was created, to enable the state to key into federal government’s development of the country’s blues economy, adding that, the wealth of the state lies in the Atlantic Ocean. Beyond oil and gas, Bayelsa is rich in its maritime environment and more emphasis will be placed on the development of its blue economy. That is why we have taken it upon ourselves to construct the three senatorial roads from Yenagoa-Ukubie, Nembe-Brass and Sagbama-Ekeremor-Aggewhich all lead to the Atlantic Ocean on the three flanks of the state.
He further re-assigned the Commissioner for Special Duties, Preye Brodrick, to the Ministry of Transport, Mr Mandy Akpalo was assigned to the Ministry of Special Duties, Central while Hon Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, who was earlier assigned the Labour, Employment and Productivity portfolio, is now the Commissioner for Information, Strategy and Orientation and Chief Saturday Omiloli is to oversee ministry of Labour, while Hon. Alfred Belemote was assigned the Ministry of Community Development, Chief Thompson Amule retained his portfolio as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, while Mr Alla John is to man the Ministry of Tourism Development.
Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe takes charge of the Ministry of Health, Hon. Ebi Ben-Ololo (Environment), Hon. Alalibo West (Special Duties – East), Hon. Gibson Munalayefa (Communications, Science and Technology) Godspower Keku (Culture) and Chief Godspower Oporomo (Ijaw National Affairs). Prof. Beke Sese was assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Alfred Nimizigha (Youth Development), Dr. Faith Zibs (Blue Economy) and Mazi Onuma Johnson (Special Duties – General Services).
Senator Diri charged the Commissioners for Environment, Agriculture and Health to come up with ideas and strategies in tackling key priority areas of the Prosperity Administration, which include food security, health and environmental issues and stressed the need to check illegal logging, oil bunkering activities and indiscriminate waste disposal in the state.
He noted that the state must enhance food production through mass agriculture and develop new initiatives for cultivating crops that we have comparative advantage such as cassava, plantain and rice. Therefore, the Commissioner for Agriculture has a great task. Bayelsa will no longer be importing rice but we should be exporting it rather.
He challenged the relevant ministry to upgrade the health delivery system to world class standards and continually improving the functionality of the Bayelsa Health lnsurance Scheme (BHIS)while narrates health as a critical sector.
