There is really nothing imposing about the Government House Chapel in Yenagoa. Except that it would have probably cost 10 times what it would ordinarily cost to erect such a structure elsewhere. That is the price Bayelsa always has to pay, as a result of the terrain in which it has found itself. The entire state is sitting below sea level.
This was the terrain that great poet was referring to when he wrote ‘water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.’ This was the terrain that even the British colonialists said needed special attention for any meaningful development to take place. The same Bayelsa, which successive federal governments have simply failed to give that ‘special attention’, 20 years after.
In some instances, it would need to literally ‘create’ the land on which projects are to be sited. To have a fairly good road, you’d have to first reclaim the land, and then pile sand for as much as eight metres deep before you can begin proper construction – including compacting and asphalting.
That is why a regular road that costs about N400 million to construct in some upland state, could gulp as much as N4 billion in Bayelsa, and still not be as good. But I digress.
Back to the chapel.
Even though Governor Henry Seriake Dickson may have done one or two things to maintain the chapel, he is quick to give credit for its construction to whom he thinks it is due. ‘It was built by the Alamieyeseigha administration’, the governor reminds you. But, again, I digress.
Having missed the traditional end-of-month Praise Night on Friday, I had wanted to join Gov. Dickson for the morning service on Sunday, October 2, but before I could drag myself to the chapel, the service was almost over.
But I was ‘early enough’ to meet the last round of praise and worship and, of course, offering time. I also joined in the prayers for those born in the month of October (which was very good, because it meant I could, at least, pray for my two lovely daughters, both of whom are October kids) and also receive the closing blessings.
And as we sang, I kept stealing a glance in the direction of the governor, and wondering to myself: How could a man, who kept moving from meeting to meeting until well after 4:00am that morning, be singing and dancing away, like the Biblical David, in praise-worship so early in the day? He couldn’t have slept for more than two hours, because, as I later learnt, before coming for the service, he had even held about three meetings. I still don’t know what these people in power ‘smoke’ that gives them this extra capacity. And after all the stress, he is still able to knock up a woman with quadruplets! I know its not Ginseng, because I tried that one before. Haba! And somebody told me God is not partial?
Like I said earlier, my concern, this Sunday morning, is neither the structure of the chapel building nor the wood panel of ceiling and upper-interior. Rather, I’m more attracted by the aura of communality inside the chapel. Everybody was welcome: Governor, top government functionaries, gardeners, cooks, regular town folks, messengers and their families.
Nobody had any dedicated seats. If the messenger’s son chooses to sit beside the governor, so be it. And as the service progressed, I took it all in: From the spatula-wearing old woman dressed in worn-out wrapper and fading polo-shirt, the psychedelic family of seven that sat in the row of seats directly in front of me, to the little children running playfully all over the place, without a care in the world (and not minding whether the governor, president, or even God himself, was seated less than three seats away), to the middle-aged man who looked every inch a farmhand, wearing poorly fitted trousers and bathroom slippers. Everyone was welcome. After all, did the Holy Book not admonish us to ‘Come as you are’?
And how can I ever forget the choir and the young lady on the conga? Yes, here, there is a not-too-common role reversal; while two men lead the vocals, a woman controls the rhythm with her drums. And boy o boy, was she good at it! She drummed and danced and displayed – hardly casting a glance in the direction of the congregation, to see if anyone was watching.
And as we stepped out of the chapel, to make the short walk to the Governor’s lodge, Dickson continued greeting and hugging and shaking hands with almost everyone. There was the old cleaner whom he greeted in Izon, the little daughter of one of the government house cooks whom he asked when she’d be going back to school. He seemed to know everyone by his or her name. He seemed to know whatever challenges everyone was facing.
But that is the distinguishing mark of the ‘Countryman Governor’. He demystifies governance and takes away the unnecessary air of importance many of his ilk carry about them.
However, that does not mean governance, or the office of the governor, has been reduced to an unserious business. Far from that! In fact, as Bayelsa marked 20 years of its creation (coinciding with 56 years independence of Nigeria) at the weekend, nobody was in doubt that the man they fondly call Ofuruma Pepe (the Great White Shark that dominates its environment) has done, in less than five years, more than what was done in the first 15 and a half years.
The list is impressive: Several roads and bridges (including the first flyover bridge in the state) have been constructed by the Dickson government to link Yenagoa, the state capital, with the rest of the state. Several projects are ongoing top amongst them are the cargo airport, which is about 70% completed, the Commercial Cassava Starch Processing Plant, projects in Aquaculture, the Ecumenical Centre, road and housing projects.
Interestingly, Dickson is the first to tell you that development is just about brick and mortar. “Anybody can build road, build bridges, build schools, construct airports and all that physical infrastructure. But there are other little intangible things that, by far outweigh the physical infrastructures. This explains why the Countryman Governor is not particular about commissioning projects. He simply puts the facility to use as soon as it is completed.
But this disposition almost cost him dearly in the build-up to the last governorship election in the state. His political opponents went to town with the falsehood that Dickson had done nothing to merit a second term. Now, the Countryman Governor is thinking of commissioning some major projects, like the futuristic new governor’s office and the airport.
However, the most critical intervention of the Dickson government would appear to be the free and compulsory education policy at Primary/Secondary school level: WAEC, NECO fees paid by government, provision of school uniforms and teaching aids, the reform of the governance and politics culture backed up by law and the enthronement of transparency and accountability in public finance, backed by law.
In Bayelsa, the law makes it compulsory for the governor to, at a monthly town hall meeting, give accounts of accrual to the state and the expenditure and the citizens are free to ask any question, to ensure feedbacks.
In fact, it is an impeachable offence for the governor not to do so. It is also an impeachable offence for the governor to deny the opposition use of public facilities, like the stadium, during electioneering campaign – as happened in some states recently.
Those are the little things that matter. Those are superstructure on which the infrastructure would stand. That probably explains why, despite the low-key celebration of 20 years of Bayelsa, Dickson not only chose to unveil three new books, but also honour two of Africa’s intellectual giants, who are proud sons of Bayelsa: Dr. Gabriel Okara and Prof. Joe Alagoa.
Unfortunately, I had to sneak out of Yenagoa before the Countryman Governor could give me free tips on how to score four goals with one shot. I guess I will go back when these CHANGE-ing times begin to yield dividends. For now, however, the taught of school fees has virtually killed every ‘funny’ movements around my loins.

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