Bayelsa safe for investments, Gov. Diri assures Nigerian diaspora in US


Bayelsa State Governor,Senator Douye Diri, has restated that the State is ready and safe to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in different areas of business.

Governor Diri, who is leading a team to the United States of America for both trade and cultural events in the leading commercial cities of New York and New Jersey, said Bayelsa State is rich beyond oil and gas resources and that his government is desirous to tap the huge agriculture potential of the State.

The Governor who was addressing Nigerians in Diaspora at a dinner hosted in his honour by the Consul-General, Amb. Lot Egopija and the Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, Amb. (Prof.)Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, at the Nigerian Consulate, New York, said Bayelsa International Airport, which has since commenced commercial operations to Lagos and Abuja, remains very strategic to the investments drive.

In a statement issued by the Director, New Media to the Governor, Dr. Kola Oredipe, the Governor informed the gathering that the ‘Government of Prosperity’ under him had made pragmatic steps to ensure safety and security of lives and investments in the State, insisting that Bayelsa State remains one of the relatively secured states in Nigeria.

“We came here on a two-prong visit, to bring Bayelsa State to the US and to the world, as a State that is ready and prepared to attract Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) and as a State that is culturally very strong, bringing our culture to the world. In the area of security, I assure you all that the State is safe. We have set up a special security outfit code named, Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps headed by a retired Brigadier-General. The corps is engaging over 5,000 community youths to join the statutory security personnel to keep every where secured”, he stated.

He continued, “Bayelsa State has been known as hub of oil and gas. Like you rightly know that commercial oil operations began in a community call Oloibiri in Bayelsa State as far back 1956. The world is now moving away from crude oil to cleaner energy. We have abundance gas resources and in fact, we have more gas reserves than the crude oil. So, investment opportunities abound in the State.”

“ As a government, we are equally diversifying into agriculture and mobilising our people to go into rice farming. It will interest you to know that because of the good soil and topography, Bayelsa can grow rice three times in a year. We can not do it alone and that is why we have come here to speak to our brothers and sisters in diaspora to come and join us promote the investment potential in the State. We are opening up the State for FDI”, he said.

On the current challenges facing the country, Governor Diri called on all Nigerians to join hands to lift the nation out of the state of insecurity and political issues.

"As you are aware, our country is undergoing some challenges, more of security and political. Before now, in our generation, you can travel all the way from Port Harcourt to Sokoto, to Kano, Kaduna without entertaining any fear. Today, the story is different. And it behoves on all of us, that what we enjoyed growing up as a country, having friends all across Nigeria, we must not allow Nigeria to die. We must all work together to ensure Nigeria remains one and not only remaining one, Nigeria will grow from strenght to strength", he stated.


The Governor thanked the two Ambassadors for the great reception and hospitality accorded the delegation from Bayelsa State.


In their separate remarks, Ambassador Lot Egopija, Consul-General, Nigerian Consulate in the New York and

Amb. (Prof.) Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, Nigeria’s Permanent Representatives to the United Nations, commended Governor Diri for his forthrightness in driving and investments into his State and that the two cities of New York and New Jersey have truly become great commercial centres in the US. 

They urged the governor to tap into the existing bilateral and business relationship between the US and Nigeria and leverage on Nigerian diaspora to attract investment opportunities to Bayelsa State.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

November 11 governorship poll: Bayelsa APC has lost campaign ideas- Diri’s aide. •••Upbeats of principal’s victory

Image
Special Assistant on media to the Bayelsa State Governor,  Mr. John Domkpee, has backed his principal, Governor Douye Diri, to retain his seat as the State governor with ease in the November 11 governorship election. This, he said, is because the All Progressives Congress(APC)  Standard bearer, Chief Timipre Sylva, does not stand a chance against his principal in the forthcoming election. Mr Domkpee, in an interview, maintained that the Bayelsa State APC has lost campaign ideas, stating that Bayelsans are well informed to know who is the better candidate between Governor Diri and the former minister of State for Petroleum Resources. “The fact that Bayelsa APC members are asking eligible Bayelsans to vote for Chief Timipre Sylva in the November 11 election to align with the center shows the party doesn’t have tangible things to campaign with.  “Bayelsans are informed and wise enough to know that Sylva who could not attract significant projects to the state as minister of state in the al
Read more

Enugu 2023: Peter Mbah wins PDP governorship primary

Image
The erstwhile  Enugu State Commissioner for Fnance, Peter Mbah, has won the governorship primary of the  Peoples Democratic Party  (PDP) held on Wednesday in Enugu. Mr Mbah polled 790 votes to defeat his closest rival, Chijioke Edeoga, who secured nine votes. The result was announced by the chairman of the electoral panel appointed by the National Working Committee of the PDP, Sunday Ambuno. After the withdrawal of about 12 aspirants from the race, only five aspirants participated in the exercise. A total of 812 delegates were accredited for the exercise. Out of the 807 total votes cast, 804 were valid and three rendered invalid. Mr Mbah a legal practitioner and businessman, in his acceptance speech after the primary, promised to serve the people with humility and forthrightness adding that he would consolidate on the achievement of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. “I want to promise you that I will serve you with humility and moderation. We are going to serve you with openness and inclusive
Read more

Quality Service Delivery : A Promise Kept.

Image
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri,  has been commended for backing his words with action  by delivering State of the art equipment to Niger Delta Television station (NDTV). State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ayiba Duba, gave the commendation during the flag-off of a two month training programme for staffers  of the NDTV for effective handling of equipment at the Ernest Ikoli Media Complex, Yenagoa. Hon. Duba expressed gratitude to God and Governor Douye Diri for the equipment, said  it will enable quality service delivery and effective dissemination of government polices and programmes by the state owned broadcasting station across the Niger Delta region He therefore, urged staffers to be committed to the course of the Government for greater opportunities and empowerment. Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry,  Mrs. Jane Help-Yawei, emphasised that a balanced work ethics and morals are key ingredients to propel proficiency at th
Read more