Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said politics should be a vehicle for development and a veritable tool for the transformation of people’s socio-economic condition and not a platform for politicians to unleash violence.
He stated this on Monday while inaugurating the Nembe Unity Bridge linking the Ogbolomabiri and Bassambiri communities in the Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Jonathan also inaugurated the Elebele Bridge, which serves as a gateway to the Nembe and Brass Local government areas in the Bayelsa East Senatorial District.
He commended Governor Douye Diri for completing the Nembe Unity Bridge and also constructing the Elebele Bridge, stressing that the former would help cement the peace and unity between the Ogbolomabiri and Bassambiri communities.
The former President urged the people of Nembe to learn to resolve their differences amicably, especially during elections, rather than playing the politics of brigandage and violence.
He gave Diri a pass mark, saying he had performed exceptionally well in infrastructural development within two years in office.
Jonathan said, “Politics should be a platform to bring development to our people and not to kill and chase them away from their communities. With the inauguration of this bridge, we pray that our brand of politics will also come to an end.
The importance of this bridge cannot be over-emphasized. From what I have seen, this bridge is expensive, well-built and solid. And I hope that it will solidify the unity between the people of the two communities.”
He emphasised that with the construction of the Elebele Bridge, the governor had demonstrated to the multinational oil companies that Niger Delta states were capable of helping themselves.
Copyright PUNCH.
