Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has encouraged his Rivers colleague, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to take steps to restore calm in Rivers and promote rapid development.
Diri provided the information on Thursday, when Fubara paid him a visit in his country house in Sampou, Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area, escorted by top government officials.
Fubara’s first official visit to Bayelsa since taking office on May 29, 2023, according to NAN.
Diri regarded the value of peace as unquantifiable, claiming that no significant growth could take place in a crisis-ridden environment.
He stated that Rivers and Bayelsa have a long history of brotherly love and that whatever affects one affects the other.
He stated that he was concerned about the Rivers political issue and had worked behind the scenes to restore calm to the state.
He warned against assigning ethnic hues to the conflict, claiming that the Ikwerre of Rivers and the Ijaw of both Rivers and Bayelsa are one and the same.
He went on to say that they couldn’t afford to attack one other since it would be “a senseless battle between brothers.”
The Bayelsa governor also exhorted Fubara to be patient and tolerant while focusing on bringing progress to his state’s people.
Diri welcomed Fubara’s olive branch to find an amicable solution to the legal crisis between the two states, while expressing desire to establish better ties with the Rivers governor in the interest of both states.