{"id":73609,"date":"2023-07-05T15:39:48","date_gmt":"2023-07-05T14:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalwire.com.ng\/?p=73609"},"modified":"2023-07-05T15:39:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-05T14:39:48","slug":"okilos-memorial-late-sage-influenced-my-politics-says-gov-diri","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalwire.com.ng\/sub\/okilos-memorial-late-sage-influenced-my-politics-says-gov-diri\/","title":{"rendered":"Okilo’s Memorial: Late Sage Influenced My Politics, Says Gov Diri"},"content":{"rendered":"

… Wants Tinubu To Restructure Nigeria<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, paid glowing tributes to the first civilian governor of Rivers State, the late Senator Melford Okilo, describing him as a nationalist who moulded him politically.<\/p>\n

Speaking during the 15th memorial celebration of Chief Okilo, whom he eulogised as a political sage and visionary leader, Governor Diri stated that the late politician was his role model whom he studied closely.<\/p>\n

Diri said Okilo had a huge impact on his life and political career.<\/p>\n

His Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, quoted him as saying that during his early days in politics, he ran for office under Okilo\u2019s party, National Solidarity Movement (NSM).<\/p>\n

According to the governor, he followed in the footsteps of Okilo, got involved in Ijaw activism and was exposed to the injustices he always complained about and sought to change.<\/p>\n

He hailed Okilo as a leader that placed the interest of the people above personal considerations, stressing that his track record was responsible for his celebration even in death.<\/p>\n

The governor urged the political class to emulate the late old Rivers state governor and shun the culture of violence just to occupy political office.<\/p>\n

He also stated that the late politician should be celebrated as a nationalist and called on his Rivers State counterpart to join Bayelsa in the Okilo remembrance celebration, just as he declared that going forward, the event will not be left for the people of Ogbia alone, but will be a state event.<\/p>\n

While recounting the ideals of Okilo, Governor Diri called on President Bola Tinubu to restructure Nigeria to address some of the injustices which he said he(Tinubu) had also suffered.<\/p>

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The State Chief executive renewed his call for people of the Niger Delta region to be allowed to benefit from their God-given resources and pay tax to the federal government as it is done elsewhere.<\/p>\n

He said; I am what I am today because of Chief Melford Okilo. I am one of those who took him as a role model. I read about him and what he did even before he became governor.<\/p>\n

“Following the footsteps of Okilo, I got into Ijaw activism and saw first hand most of the things our father spoke against.He never accumulated wealth, Okilo was a nationalist that should be celebrated as such.”<\/p>\n

\u201cI call on my colleague, Governor of Rivers State, to join me celebrate our hero. I hereby direct that the Okilo memorial be taken over by the Bayelsa State government.<\/p>\n

“We shall not trivialise the immortalisation of our leader to a clan. He was one who exuded love for his people. He never had thugs but depended on his power of philosophy. Mr. Politician, why do you want to kill to get to power? Why not emulate Okilo who fought against injustice?<\/p>\n

“May I use this opportunity to also eulogise President Tinubu, who himself suffered injustice but today is president. I believe he will stand tall to stop the injustices of this country and give the people of the Niger Delta what rightful belongs to them”, the Governor added.<\/p>\n

In their keynote addresses, Ambassador Boladei Igali and Professor Ambily Etekpe both eulogised the Okilo and called for sustenance of his legacies.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in their separate goodwill messages, the duo of the first military administrator of old Rivers and immediate past chairman, Bayelsa State council of tradition rulers, HRM King Alfred Diete-Spiff and immediate past Deputy Governor of the State, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John-Jonah(rtd) have also eulogized the sage for his patriotic leadership.<\/p>\n

King Spiff and John-Jonah relived their memories of the late politician, noting that he was loved and admired by all as a statesman and governor of the old Rivers State across political and tribal leanings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, paid glowing tributes to the first civilian governor of Rivers State, the late Senator Melford Okilo, describing him as a nationalist who moulded him politically.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":73554,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1593,17],"tags":[155],"coauthors":[2391],"class_list":["post-73609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-metro","category-news","tag-bayelsa-state"],"yoast_head":"\nOkilo's Memorial: Late Sage Influenced My Politics, Says Gov Diri - National Wire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Tuesday, paid glowing tributes to the first civilian governor of Rivers State\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nationalwire.com.ng\/sub\/okilos-memorial-late-sage-influenced-my-politics-says-gov-diri\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Okilo's Memorial: Late Sage Influenced My Politics, Says Gov Diri - 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