JUST IN: Bayelsa govt to pay boat accident victims’ medical bills

The Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, said the government has taken over the medical bills of the victims of last Thursday’s boat mishap at Okoroma community in Nembe Local Government Area of the state.

Diri, on Sunday, directed the Commissioner for Health to ensure that the state government picks the bill of hospitalised victims.

He spoke during the Easter Sunday service at the King of Glory Chapel in Government House, Yenagoa.

The governor, who sympathised with families that lost individuals in the boat accident, also directed the Health Commissioner to refund to survivors whatever they had spent on treatment.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said that Diri also directed all relevant authorities in the transport sector, especially those in charge of the waterways, to ensure that all safety measures were duly complied with henceforth to avert another of such accident.

About five corpses have been recovered from the river since the boat accident which was said to have been caused by overloading.

Diri said his administration would not hesitate to sanction anyone found wanting in the discharge of their duties as government will no longer allow such avoidable accidents.

Speaking on the April 15 rerun House of Representatives and House of Assembly polls for the Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency and Ogbia Constituency 2 respectively, the governor called for peaceful exercise, saying the events that led to the supplementary balloting must be avoided.

Diri remarked that in the spirit of Easter, politicians should see politics as a means to serve the people and not engage in actions that negate value for the lives of people they intend to serve.

He also urged politicians and their followers in the state to close ranks after the general election, stressing that Bayelsa can only move forward when there is unity and love towards one another.

Diri said, “My message is very clear. We have seen the resurrection and its power. Whatever that was dead in our lives, the power of resurrection will affect it.

“As Ijaw people, we live by the truth and we will indeed be set free. Elections have come and gone. Whatever our differences were, let us put them aside. It is time for reconciliation.

“The power of government is to do good, to be compassionate, to bring development and ensure peace.”