Sylva's Legacies As Governor Of Bayelsa State

Chief Timipre Sylva

For a boy whose mother told him at a very young age to "make things much better because you were there", it is easy to understand why Chief Timipre Sylva chose to dedicate his life in service to humanity.Through his honest and compassionate approach to life, one of Bayelsa's finest sons has repeatedly done what they said couldn’t be done.

Since cutting his teeth in politics and proceeding to win a seat in the House of Assembly election representing Brass constituency in old Rivers State in 1992, Sylva's status as an extraordinary administrator has manifested across the spectrum of life and society. Perhaps, drawing inspiration from his career with the National Minority Business Council in Port Harcourt where, as Executive Secretary, he diligently created employment opportunities for the people; Sylva developed a political base, contested the Bayelsa gubernatorial elections more than once, and was eventually elected in 2007. Thus started a journey to fulfill his predestined covenant with the people of Bayelsa; an adventure of which he had no illusion how much he had heaped upon himself.

Considering the difficult circumstances that brought him to power and hydra- headed issues he was immediately confronted with, hindsight proves that Sylva provided strategic leadership, foresight and dynamism uncommon among his peers. Presiding over the affairs of Bayelsa State, the Pro-Chancellor of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, went on to record great achievement most of which constitute the fundamental framework for infrastructural and socio-economic development in the state till today.

Seeking to deliver the dividends of good governance to his people, the Governor deployed the full capacity of human and material resources at his disposal across critical sectors such as infrastructure education; health and human capacity development. He also focused on improving community relations: the welfare of civil servants, electricity, strengthened ant- corruption institutions, judiciary and culture among others

Infrastructure: Bearing in mind that he was dealing with a relatively new state with little by way of existing infrastructure, Sylva laid out an elaborate infrastructure roadmap and pursued it aggressively. In this regard, his administration conducted clearing & land reclamation of Yenagoa Business District (YBD); construction of 52 link roads in Yenagoa Metropolis; building and furnishing of the multi- billion naira Glory Land Castle and completion of Azikoro Estate Phase II.His administration also approved and completed construction of the Onuebum- Otuoke Road; Yenagoa Gateway Road Phase I; awarded contract for the Umar Musa Yar’Adu International Cargo Airport and awarded the construction of Yenagoa Gateway Road Phase ll. He further improved the state capital's aesthetic features with the Yenagoa Guardian Angel Gateway design; construction of Yenagoa Tower Hotel & International Conference Centre from the second floor to its present 18th floor: built & equipped the Bayelsa State Library, as well as approved construction of concrete roads in rural communities.

Education: As a first-class graduate himself, Sylva did not compromise on education as he pulled out all the stops to provide ultra-modern facilities for citizens' enlightenment. He approved and completed the construction of modern Universal Basic Education (UBE) Schools across communities in Bayelsa State; awarded foreign scholarships; and expanded existing programs to include skill acquisition. In a stroke of genius, Sylva attracted the Nigerian Law School to Yenagoa, but he did not stop there as he also built & furnished the school’s campus and established a Special fund for construction of new and upgrade of existing required standards stipulated by the Council for Legal Studies.He further deployed his goodwill and deep connections to attract the establishment of the Federal University, Otuoke; Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe; and Isaac Jasper Boro College Education to Bayelsa State

Capacity Development: Having remained committed to improving the quality of lives of his people, Sylva introduced a community-based volunteer programme that employed 8,000 youths from all eight local government areas of the state.His administration also provided training for a set of 60 Indian-trained ICT professionals to engage in the outsourcing business. His administration also established a state-backed micro-credit agency to provide small-scale loans for youth who underwent training with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a Millennium Development Goals (MDG) fund.

Electricity: Prior to Chief Timipre Sylva’s administration, Bayelsa was the only State not connected to the National Grid. However, Sylva’s arrival changed that narrative as he engaged in aggressive electrification of rural Communities and improved the supply and distribution of electricity in the state.

Health: In the area of healthcare, Bayelsa made internationally acclaimed strides under Sylva with the delivery of affordable health care through the construction and furnishing of the ultra-modern Diete Koki Memorial Hospital, Opolo with medical equipment.

Judiciary: To strengthen the judicial process and preserve the last hope of the common man, Sylva Completed construction of the Bayelsa State Judiciary Complex; and complemented this feat with the construction of Okaka Housing Estate, Phase Il for judges.

Legislature: He also funded the Construction & furnishing of Bayelsa Secretariat Complex Annex, in addition to the Construction of a new House of Assembly Estate for legislators.

Executive: In order to give the state government a befitting abode, Sylva completed the construction of Government House Phase II; Government Banquet Hall and construction of a new Commissioners Estate respectively. It is important to note that he chose to focus on the completion of projects commenced by his predecessors

Community Relations: Faced with internecine crises upon assumption of office, Sylva established the Centre for Peace & Conflict Resolution (Peace House) to settle inter-Community disputes.

Anti-Corruption: In the area of transparency and accountability in governance, the Governor stirred the hornets' nest when he signed the state Public Procurement and Fiscal Responsibility Act into law. The Act was expected to regulate all procurement practices of the state government. His administration also launched the Bayelsa Expenditure and Income Transparency Initiative (BEITI) and passed laws to support transparency. The BEITI mandated government to give full disclosure of its expenditure.

Security: It is instructive to point out that Sylva is the unsung visionary behind the Disarmament, Demobilization and Rehabilitation framework that served as a precursor to the implementation of the Amnesty Programme. Contrary to allegations peddled by critic, the governor worked radically to engage with the militants, brokered peace and secured the release of all hostage held in camps.

The sudden termination of Sylva’s re-election in 2012 served as a bitter reminder that despite his best intensions, there was neither shortage of rivals nor an end to the challenges that heralded his election to office.Nonetheless, the Sylva administration has entered history as the administration that gave citizens of Bayelsa State what they had been missing for a long time; the hope of improved quality of life.