……..Lauds Governor Diri
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, has attributed the state’s ranking as Nigeria’s most peaceful in 2025, a status sustained into February 2026, to Governor Douye Diri’s substantial investments in security and peace infrastructure.
The Commissioner made the assertion while hosting a courtesy visit by the Bayelsa State Peace Architecture (SPA) delegation at the Information House in Yenagoa.
Hon. Koku-Obiyai commended the SPA for its tireless peacebuilding efforts, particularly its evidence-based Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) mechanisms.
She highlighted the group’s success in documenting and resolving over 200 conflict cases in the past two years.
The Commissioner, a former Chief Whip of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and ex-Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, praised the SPA’s strategic use of collaboration tools to unite peace agents under one umbrella.
This approach, she noted, has delivered measurable positive impacts in conflict intervention and prevention in recent months and is worthy of emulation.
Emphasising that peace is indispensable for sustainable development, she declared that no resources or efforts are excessive when it comes to safeguarding Bayelsa’s tranquility.
“Peace in Bayelsa is non-negotiable at all levels and remains a collective responsibility, especially for traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders,” she said.
The Ibe-Gesi-Amata Keni of Gbarain Kingdom urged youths to reject social vices, decrying the rising menace of drug abuse and cultism as major conflict drivers.
She called for intensified stakeholder efforts to entrench lasting peace, while expressing regret over the impending wind-down of the European Union-funded project, Community Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta, implemented by Search for Common Ground and partners, with Bayelsa serving as a leading example.
Hon. Koku-Obiyai threw her full weight behind establishing the Bayelsa State Community Peace Commission to institutionalise the state’s peace infrastructure.
She advocated a bottom-up approach to strengthen early warning and response systems as a vital sustainability strategy for the SPA.
She also reaffirmed her unwavering support and commitment to participate in the 2026 Bayelsa State Community Peace Summit, scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the Golden Tulip Conference Hall, Onopa.
The SPA delegation included Dr. Inebaraton Preye (Secretary, Bayelsa State Peace Architecture), Mr. Chorbe Joshua (Niger Delta Consortium Manager, Search for Common Ground), Mr. Ayitu Opuwill (Governance Coordinator, Search for Common Ground), Amb. Princess Egbe (Rights Activist), Tuki Dauseiye (Former BANGOF Chairman), Eunice Nnachi (Founder, WOMEN), NOA Representative, Abebe, SP Francis Opuomoni (Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security Matters), Sir Johnny Jonathan Ogbia (LPA Chairman), Pastor Apere (Ministry of Community Development Desk Officer), and Bishop Dotimi Egbegi (Member, Bayelsa State Conflict Resolution and Community Development Committee).
