Douye Diri, 60, takes oath of office as Bayelsa governor

&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-large"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2020&sol;02&sol;Gov-Diri&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-2394"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Senator Douye Diri&comma; who until two hours ago&comma; represented Bayelsa Central senatorial district in the Nigerian 9th National Assembly&comma; has been sworn in as Bayelsa State governor&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Before he became&NewLine;a Senator&comma; he had represented Yenagoa&comma; Kolokuna and Opokuma Constituency &nbsp&semi;of Bayelsa in the Federal House of&NewLine;Representatives&period;<br>&NewLine;He is the 5th democratically elected&NewLine;governor to be sworn in the State sine the rebirth of democratic practice&NewLine;in 1999&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">He was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November&NewLine;16&comma; 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa State<br>&NewLine;His swearing-in comes a day after the Supreme&NewLine;Court sacked former governor-elect of the state&comma; David Lyon&comma; and his running&NewLine;mate&comma; Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Born&NewLine;in &nbsp&semi;Kolokuma&sol;Opokuma &nbsp&semi;on June 4&comma; 1959&comma;&nbsp&semi; Diri &comma; &nbsp&semi;a businessman and &nbsp&semi;politician&comma; &nbsp&semi;started &nbsp&semi;&nbsp&semi;his&NewLine;basic education at Okoro Primary School Sampou&period; He earned his First School&NewLine;Leaving Certificate &lpar;FSLC&rpar; in 1977 at Rev&period; Proctor Memorial Primary School&NewLine;Kaima &lpar;then State school Kaima&rpar;&period; He obtained his West African Senior School&NewLine;Certificate Examinations &lpar;WASCE&rpar; at Government Secondary School Odi in 1981 and&NewLine;followed it up with a &nbsp&semi;Nigerian&NewLine;Certificate in Education &lpar;NCE&rpar; at the College of Education &comma; &nbsp&semi;Port-Harcourt&comma; Rivers state in 1985&period; He&NewLine;thereafter got &nbsp&semi;Bachelors of Education&NewLine;degree in Political Science at the University of Port-Harcourt&comma; Rivers State in&NewLine;1990&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">He&NewLine;started his career as a teacher and taught in several Government Schools in the&NewLine;Rural Area of &nbsp&semi;Old Rivers State&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p class&equals;"wp-block-paragraph">Politically&comma; he began as the first National Organizing Secretary of the Ijaw National Congress &lpar;INC&rpar;&comma; the foremost organization of the Ijaw Nation&semi; Executive Secretary&comma; Centre for Youth Development in Bayelsa State &lpar;2000-2002&rpar;&semi; Commissioner for Youth and Sports &lpar;2005-2006&rpar;&period;&semi; Council Board member university of Maiduguri &lpar;2008-2012&rpar;&semi;  Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party &lpar;PDP&rpar; Disciplinary Council&comma; Bayelsa State &lpar;2012&rpar;&period;<br> Deputy Chief of Staff&comma; Government House&comma; 2012&semi;  Principal Executive Secretary &lpar;2013-2014&rpar; before being sworn in today as Bayelsa governor&period; He is happily married with children<&sol;p>&NewLine;