Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has directed that an autopsy be conducted to medically determine the cause of death of his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 60.
Governor Diri gave the directive while receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan, who paid a condolence visit to the government and the family of the late deputy governor at the Government House in Yenagoa.
The governor also cautioned against the politicization of Ewhrudjakpo’s death, particularly on social media, urging the public to respect the mood of mourning in the state.
Diri in a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesman, Mr Daniel Alabrah, appealed to the public to refrain from speculation and instead celebrate the life and service of the late deputy governor, whom he said served Bayelsa State with dedication and commitment.
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He expressed appreciation to Jonathan for standing with the state during both good and challenging times.
“I want to make an appeal. I have seen people politicising his death. In Ijaw land, there is no enmity in death. Let nobody politicise the passing of our dearly beloved deputy governor. If anyone loves him, this is the time to show it,” Diri said.
“I have directed that an autopsy be carried out to reveal the cause of his death. There is a lot of nonsense going on on social media. If anyone is issuing a statement to eulogise him, let it end there and allow us to mourn him because the state is in a mourning mood.
“That is why we have declared three working days of mourning, and we expect everyone in the state to do what the former president has done today.
“Let us love one another to the point of death, because all of us will answer this call one day,” he added.
Speaking earlier, former President Jonathan described the death of Senator Ewhrudjakpo as a sad moment for all Bayelsans.
Jonathan recalled the late deputy governor’s active support for programmes organised by the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Foundation, noting that Ewhrudjakpo consistently represented the governor and mobilised state officials for such engagements.
“For me, he was someone my foundation and I will never forget. He represented the governor in all our programmes.
“This year in Accra, Ghana, he did the same. On November 20, he also mobilised assembly members and commissioners to Abuja to mark the 10th anniversary of the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Foundation. Whenever I have a programme, Bayelsa State is always represented. It is quite a sad moment for all of us,” Jonathan said.
The former president described Ewhrudjakpo as humble, hardworking, and widely respected, adding that his work ethic was a lesson for public office holders.
“I was also a deputy governor, but he worked harder than me. He hardly appeared to rest. This is a lesson for all of us to find time to rest. We pray that this state does not experience this kind of incident again. We ask God to cushion the impact of this loss on the state, especially on the immediate family,” he said.
Governor Diri and former President Jonathan later visited the wife of the late deputy governor, Barrister Beatrice Ewhrudjakpo, at their residence within the Government House.
