Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri says the state’s quest to become Industri­alised will take a long time.

He noted that the state had remained heavily dependent on federal receipts over the years.

The governor, however, claimed that his administra­tion was laying a solid founda­tion for the industrialisation of the state by investing huge­ly in road infrastructure and working towards stabilising power supply.

He spoke at the palace of the monarch of Ogboin clan, King Oweipa Jones-Ere, in Amassoma, as he rounded off his four-day re-election campaigns in communities across Southern Ijaw Local Government Area on Satur­day.

Diri, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, who is also a member of the Publicity Di­rectorate, Bayelsa PDP Gov­ernorship Campaign Council, rationalised that it was not the sole obligation of the state government to industrialise the state.

He said while it is the re­sponsibility of the govern­ment to provide the enabling environment through the pro­vision of basic infrastructure, the private sector partnership and investment were equally important in engendering a viable economy.

He said, “Our state is yet to industrialise and still heavi­ly dependent on the govern­ment. It will take some time for us to be an industrialised state.

“A lot of people think it is the government that actually industrialises a state. A thou­sand times No. Government only provides the enabling environment for private cap­ital and partnership with the government to industrialise. By God’s grace, we will get there.”

He lashed out at his po­litical opponents that had promised to industrialise Bayelsa, stressing that they had no idea on how to achieve it.

Diri said rather than politi­cise it, his administration had taken steps to ensure a solid base for industrialisation, including striking a partner­ship with a private firm to rehabilitate and expand the capacity of the gas turbine at Imiringi in Ogbia Local Gov­ernment Area.(INDEPENDENCE.NG)