Douye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa State, has faced widespread criticism for leading a ‘prosperity walk’ in the state’s capital on Thursday, October 13, amid ravaging floods.
The ‘prosperity walk’ was launched by Governor Diri on April 14 as part of his prosperity agenda and efforts to promote fitness and good health in the state.
“Our government is a government of prosperity, and that means Prosperity in your pockets, prosperity in your economy, prosperity in your health, and prosperity in your fitness,” the governor said at the maiden ‘prosperity walk’.
But residents are not having it this time. The governor’s ‘prosperity walk’ has been met with outrage.
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In response to a Facebook post by the Bayelsa Government New Media on the governor leading the walk, one user described it as the “height of cluelessness and insensitivity”.
“Mr governor your people are suffering from this flood that has rendered them homeless and in hunger, and you are going for your baseless prosperity walk… Sometimes I wonder the kinda leaders we have,” Blessing Vello, another commenter, said.
Yet another resident of the state, Fredrick Egolugbon, wrote: “His Excellency, your people are seriously suffering as a result of the Okutukutu Creek your Govt block. Please, our governor, tell your commissioner of environment and his team to go and break that evil work and allow the free flow of water to ease the volume of water in other areas.”
Bayelsa is among the states hardest hit by the floods ravaging the country, with many of its residents having been displaced by the floods. Others have been forced to live on bridges because the state has yet to make provisions for camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The ‘prosperity walk’ was held in Yenagoa, the state’s capital. However, throughout the state, roads have been decimated by floods, and residents do not have the luxury of taking part in such walks on roads.
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