Address by His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri, on the occasion of Workers’ Day, on May 1, 2023, at the Peace Park, Yenagoa

PROTOCOL

Dear fellow workers of Bayelsa State,

1. Let me begin by greeting you in the time-honoured words of labour struggles: Aluta continua!

2. The contributions that workers make to our families, communities, society and economy every day cannot be overlooked or understated. Today, I am happy to be with you on this very special day as we celebrate and honour the hard work and dedication that we put forth year after year.

3. As we reflect on what it means to be a worker, this government is mindful of the fact that we owe you a collective debt of gratitude and acknowledge the fact that you remain the backbone of society; working tirelessly to provide for our loved ones and to build a better future for ourselves and those who come after us.

4. When we say, “Aluta Continua!” let us all remind ourselves of the things we are collectively fighting against and who our common enemies are. We are fighting against poverty, insecurity, underdevelopment, poor healthcare and infrastructure among others. 

5. As a teacher, it is no fluke that I am the Workers’ Friend and run a labour-friendly government. There is no doubt that the aspirations of Labour are best realized under a responsive and responsible government. I want to believe that in your Government of Prosperity, you have found a faithful partner to fight these issues.

6. ROADS - We are uncompromisingly investing in and developing the necessary infrastructure to attract businesses and create jobs for the people of the state. We have made good progress on the three Senatorial road projects. We have continued to expand our road network across the three senatorial districts while we continue to give Yenagoa city the much-needed facelift.

7. HEALTH - In the health sector, we are constructing and equipping medical centres in all our local government areas, engaged different categories of health workers and introduced cutting-edge technology into the system. In this regard, I am delighted to mention that the Bayelsa Zipline Health Supply Chain System, our emergency drone delivery service, is up and flying. Only recently, we responded to a distress call from Ukubie in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area for emergency drug intervention for a child suffering from acute malaria and succeeded in saving his life. These sorts of testimonies make our modest efforts to serve our people worthwhile.

8. SECURITY - As we all know, security is a minimum so that we sleep with our two eyes closed as well as guarantee the safety of investors and workers. That is why our primary security outfit, Operation Doo-Akpo alongside the Bayelsa Volunteers and Bayelsa Vigilante have been streamlined into an umbrella body and further beefed up our boots on the ground with the engagement of the first batch of over 600 personnel through the Bayelsa State Community Safety Corps. By several accounts, we are one of the safest states to work and live in Nigeria.

9. EDUCATION - In education, we are paying particular attention to providing our students with practical skills to make them self-employable. Thus we have not relented in the building of Technical and Vocational schools in all the local government areas to give them a strong head start.

10. You have my assurance that together we can build and recreate our state, producing our shared prosperity and the Greater Bayelsa that our founding fathers dreamed of; united and free.

11. However, we also know that the journey will not be easy as we continue to persevere and move forward. We will have to adapt and innovate in the face of adversity and not allow our common adversary to cause division in our ranks. We must remain vigilant so that the dark forces of retrogression, violence and hatred will not catch us unawares. We have to be vigilant and not be deceived by empty rhetoric and vainglorious assertions. As the Bible says, “For by their fruits, you shall know them.”

12. All over the world, the capacity of government to employ labour is limited. That is why we must create an enabling environment that supports the growth and development of our private sector to employ more people. This Government of Prosperity is working to engender the conditions for job creation and to promote economic growth that benefits all workers.

13. ENCOURAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP: We are providing seed funding, mentorship, and training programmes to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. We have created opportunities whereby our women and youths are empowered through a multi-faceted process that involves a combination of policies, incentives, and investments.

14. We are equally pleased with the evolution of the informal sector through among other programmes the monthly provision of N100 million as seed grant to small and medium-scale entrepreneurs (SMES). Through the scheme, no fewer than 420 small-scale businesses and entrepreneurs from each 105 wards in the eight local government areas of our state are empowered monthly. In the last 11 months, 2,310 youths and women operating SMEs have each received the N200,000 monthly grant. From numerous feedback from the beneficiaries, the funds have been judiciously applied and they are now earning sustainable income and extending their scope.

15. We have made similar interventions in agriculture where over 400 youths have been trained at the CSS Integrated Farms in Nasarawa State and given soft loans through our partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

16. We are thus investing in infrastructure, education and training to create more opportunities for workers to develop their skills and contribute to the economy.

17. We are also delighted to note that the harmony that exists among the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of government is replicated in our relationship with workers. We believe that it is because we respect the dignity of workers and recognise the right of labour unions to make genuine requests for their members, and we will continue to protect and promote these rights.

18. CONCLUSION - In celebrating the achievements of workers, I am the first to recognise that notwithstanding the progress that has been made in improving working conditions and benefits, there is still more to be done.

So, even as we celebrate today, we do not pretend we have no challenges. We know that there is yet more work that still needs to be done. By coming together and continuing to advocate for ourselves and each other, we can create a better future for ourselves, our families, and our communities.

19. The contributions of workers across all sectors of our society, including but not limited to healthcare professionals, teachers, essential workers, or those working in the security sector, are irreplaceable to the growth, development and prosperity of our state. We stand in solidarity with all cadres of workers and thank you, as we continue to work indefatigably for the general good.

Again, I wish you a pleasant Worker's Day celebration.