Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, 29th April 2024, swore in 14 new commissioners, newly-elected chairmen of eight local government councils, and their vice chairmen, as well as the chairman of the Bayelsa State Board of Internal Revenue, Daniel Iniekezimene.
The ceremony took place inside the Executive Council Chambers of the Government House, Yenagoa.
The re-appointed cabinet members, who served in the governor’s first term and retained their portfolios, include Biriyai Dambo (Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice), Moses Teibowei (Works and Infrastructure), Maxwell Ebibai (Finance), Dr. Gentle Emelah (Education), Daniel Igali (Sports Development) and Preye Brodricks (Special Duties, Bayelsa East).
Others, who returned but were redeployed are Dr. Ebieri Jones, who was assigned to Trade and Industry from Mineral Resources, while Flint George, who served as Special Duties, Bayelsa Central, was assigned to Budget and Economic Planning. The newly appointed commissioners are Mrs Ebiwou Koku-Obiyai (Labour and Productivity), Michael Magbisa (Special Duties, Bayelsa West), Elizabeth Bidei (Women Affairs), Peter Afagha (Mineral Resources), and Komuku Kharim (Power).
Senator Diri said the ceremony marked a pivotal moment in the state’s journey as he commenced his second term.
He said during the first tenure, the administration laid the groundwork for a prosperous Bayelsa across various sectors, noting that there was still much work to be done.
He charged them to initiate legacy projects and programmes in their various ministries as their roles carried significant responsibilities to accelerate development of the state.
The governor equally charged them to exercise prudent financial management to ensure efficient resource utilisation and foster collaboration among their peers for effective synergy, as their functions complement each other.
He added that his administration would define measurable indicators to evaluate the periodic performance of each ministry and track progress towards set objectives.
