The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, mentioned on Sunday that providing palliatives was not the permanent solution to the economic difficulties in the country.
He said this during the Easter Sunday service at the St. Peter’s Anglican Church in his community, Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, who read the first and only lesson at the service taken from the book of John 20:1-18, expressed that although he was not against palliatives, he was more concerned with establishing the right structures and systems to tackle the economic challenge.
Diri, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said that his administration was initiating policies and programmes that would lead to long-term empowerment for the people of the state instead of short-term palliatives.
He explained that the government is addressing manpower shortage and the skills challenge by setting up technical colleges in the eight local government areas, commencing skills acquisition programmes, constructing roads to connect the hinterlands, and other infrastructure that would bring socio-economic empowerment to the people.
The governor also emphasized that the government alone cannot cater to everyone and encouraged the people to engage in businesses and other meaningful ventures in order to enhance their lives and the state.
He affirmed, “On our part, the long-term solutions that we are putting in place are the technical colleges, the skills acquisition programmes, roads and other infrastructure and not palliatives that are short-term measures.
“There is nowhere in the world that the government does everything for you. Let us get involved in businesses. Take advantage of our skills acquisition programmes, and that way, you will add value to yourselves and Bayelsa State. That way, youths will become productive.”
On the significance of the Easter celebration, Diri encouraged the people to learn from the lessons of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot and that of the doubting Thomas Didymus in the scripture.
He recommended that Christians should embrace the qualities of trust, honesty, and faithfulness to contribute to a better society.
In a sermon, the Bishop of Northern Izon Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt Rev. Funkuro Amgbare, mentioned that the power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ resulted in salvation for Christians.
