He stated this at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, where business and political leaders from across Africa and other parts of the world gathered for a two-day conference.
“We have done a lot also in the area of healthcare because you must keep the people healthy to enable them participate in what you are doing. We have provided wonderful health facilities and policies. For instance, our health insurance scheme is covering over 150,000 persons. We have a special programme for pregnant women to be able to address the issue of infant and maternal mortality. This is what it means to invest in the people. When you do that you are investing in stability and peace.
“It is because we want to provide the necessary infrastructure that will drive economic growth that can make people to come and invest and do business in Bayelsa. Now we are working on the deep seaport. All we are doing is to open up the state so we can bring the world to Bayelsa,” he said. “For instance, we had the regional body encouraging all our states to invest in the power sector when Nigeria introduced privatisation. Now we have the 4Power Consortium Limited, which is jointly owned by Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers states. We used the company to acquire assets in the biggest power company in the region, the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company, which we jointly own.
“This morning, I listened to the President of Rwanda explain his country’s current relationship with neighbouring Uganda and it struck a cord. Unfortunately, politics sometimes get in the way of most laudable programmes. I think a lot more needs to be done about the BRACED Commission. We have not given up on it. We intend to reinvigorate it because it is mutually beneficial to all of us.”