BEVERLY HILLS, June 04, (THEWILL) – Bayelsa State Government on Friday organised a special prayer session to mark the 62nd birthday anniversary of Governor Douye Diri with a call on the people of the state to embrace unity and love.
Speaking during the service at the King of Glory Chapel, Government House, Yenagoa, Diri urged Bayelsans to sustain their prayers and efforts at promoting the peace and stability of the state.
The Governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, also stressed the need for the people to make all necessary sacrifices and join government in pushing forward the frontiers of development in the state.
The Bayelsa State Chief Executive promised to make sacrificial leadership his watchword in the discharge of his duties, noting that no leader who placed his ambition above that of the people could succeed in governance.
He expressed gratitude to the people of the state for the show of love and solidarity over his birthday and called on them to extend the kind gesture to one another.
Speaking in his capacity as Deputy Governor, Senator Ewhrudjakpo congratulated Governor Diri on his 62nd birthday and thanked God for raising him as a leader at this point in the history of the state.
Describing the Governor as a man of integrity and prayer answered, he asked Bayelsans to sink their partisan differences and rally round the present administration for the good of all.
His words: “A society gets the kind of leadership they prayed for. We prayed for a kind and obedient servant to be our Governor at this time and God has answered us. We are lucky to have him as our Governor at this period. So, we give thanks to God.
“We have a Governor who has integrity. If you look at what is happening in the state, the Governor is saying what he will do and he is actually doing what he says. So we really have to latch on this crest or wave of integrity to berth at a better destination.
“Until a leader’s ambition and desires are brought below those he leads, he cannot be an effective leader. If his ambition overshadows those of the people, it is his personal wish that he will want to satisfy, not the wishes of those around him.
“That is why we are looking forward to enjoying a new leadership style in Bayelsa, what we call sacrificial leadership in which a leader offers himself out and extends his hand to bring everybody to the fold.
“The message today is the message of love and unity, because if we are not united, we will become thin and worn-out. So we need to remain united and avoid those things that divide us.’
Earlier, Technical Adviser to the Governor on Public Affairs, Reverend Samuel John-Peters, admonished the congregation to pray that God should endow the Governor and other leaders with wisdom to properly steer the affairs of the state.
According to him, the peculiarities of Bayelsa required special wisdom that would enable the Governor take right decisions for its development.
The service featured praise, worship and intercessory prayers for the Governor, his family as well as the government and people of the state.
Amos Esele is the Acting Editor of THEWILL Newspaper. He has over two decades of experience on the job.
