Bayelsa State governor, Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson on Friday ended his three-day community to community campaign visit to Southern Ijaw communities with the commissioning of the Izon ibe Micro-finance Bank in Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA.
The governor had earlier in the day visited opuama, Enewari, Acuobiri and other communities in the area before the mega rally that was held in Oporoma.
The bank, according to him, would boost commerce in the area, as people in the area majority of who are fishermen and traders would have access to loan facilities.
Dickson said the interest rate would be minimal as it was aimed at assisting the people in the area, adding, there is no better way of empowering the people than to teach them how to fish rather than giving them fish.
He said, “What you people are enjoying now is just a tip of the ice berg of what to expect by the time you renew our mandate for a second term in office. This is your government, the government of the people and we will not renege on our promise of developing the state and make it envy of other states in the Country.
“This, we cannot do alone, we need your support. This is our state, Jerusalem of Ijaw nation and all hands must be on deck to make it a commercial nerve centre of the Country.”
Expressing their delights over the visit and the location of the Bank in Oporoma, the people of Southern Ijaw communities said the governor has demonstrated his love for the people in the area.
According to them, this will be the first time since the state was created in 1996 that a sitting governor would visit all the communities in the area. It is historic.
“The visit has afforded the governor the opportunities to meet the people one on one, their agitations and how to proffer lasting solution to it? Also, we thank the governor for the appointment of our sons and daughters to position of responsibilities, especially the recent appointment of Hon. Kia Nigeria Ebidoughofa as Commissioner nominee”, one of them said
