Gov Douye Diri of Bayelsa State on Sunday said offering palliatives was not a lasting solution to the economic hardship in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Diri made the remark when he spoke during the Easter Sunday service at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in his community, Sampou, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
The governor said even though he was not against palliatives, he was more concerned with putting in place the right structures and systems to address the economic challenges.
He said his administration was initiating policies and programmes that would bring about long-term empowerment to people of the state rather than short-term palliatives.
According to him, the government was tackling manpower shortage and the skills challenge by establishing technical colleges in the eight LGAs, embarking on skills acquisition programmes, building roads to connect the hinterlands, as well as other infrastructure that would bring socio-economic empowerment to the people.
The governor also explained that the government alone cannot provide for everyone and called on the people to get involved in businesses and other meaningful ventures toward adding value to their lives and the state.
He said: “There is nowhere in the world that the government does everything for you. Let us get involved in businesses. Take advantage of our skills acquisition programmes, and that way, you will add value to yourselves and Bayelsa State. That way, youths will become productive.”
On the significance of the Easter celebration, Mr Diri urged the people to learn from the lessons of the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot and that of the doubting Thomas Didymus in the scripture.
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He advised that Christians should imbibe the virtues of trust, honesty and faithfulness to have a better society.
In a sermon, the Bishop of Northern Izon Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt Rev. Funkuro Amgbare, said the power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ brought about salvation for Christians.
Mr Amgbare, who urged the clergy always to uphold the truth and propagate the gospel, decried the moral decadence in the church and emphasised the need to reverse the trend.
Mr Diri read the first and only lesson at the service, taken from the book of John 20:1-18.
(NAN)