Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has approved the appointment of Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei as Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

He also named Dr. Peter Pereotubo Akpe as the Chief of Staff (CoS), Government House.

A press release by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, also stated that Mr. Irorodamie Komonibo has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief of Staff (DCoS), Government House while Alabrah retained his position as CPS from the governor’s first tenure.

The governor’s spokesman stated that the appointments take immediate effect.

Until this new appointment, Nimibofa Ayawei, a Professor of Analytical Chemistry, technocrat, public servant and university teacher was Executive Chairman of the Bayelsa State Board of Internal Revenue, a position he has occupied since 2016.

The former member of the state House of Assembly started his working career at the Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment before his appointment as member of the State Scholarship Board in 2001. In 2002, he was appointed Chairman, Bassan-Koluama Rural Development Authority.

In 2003, he was elected to represent Southern Ijaw Constituency 4 in the state legislature after which he became General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of the Bayelsa State Housing and Property Development Authority in 2012. He was also appointed Commissioner for Housing and Rural Development in 2014.

Prof. Ayawei bagged a Bachelor of Education degree in Chemistry in 1995 at the then Rivers State College of Education, Port Harcourt (which was then an affiliate of the University of Ibadan) before obtaining a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry in 2008 at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State and later a Doctor of Philosophy in Analytical/Environmental Chemistry at the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma. He was the first PhD graduate of the university in 2016.

He also took up appointment as lecturer in the NDU Department of Chemical Sciences in 2016 and is currently a Professor of Analytical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry, Bayelsa State Medical University (BMU).

Dr. Pereotubo Akpe, the immediate past Deputy Chief of Staff and Acting Chief of Staff is a 1991 graduate of the University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt (now Rivers State University) where he obtained a B.Sc. in Technical Education, specializing in Electrical/Electronics.

He also holds a Master degree in Administration and Planning from the same university and a Ph.D. in same discipline from the University of Port Harcourt.

Dr. Akpe worked in both the Rivers and Bayelsa State Civil Service for over 20 years and retired as Assistant Director.

He also served as Head of Administration, Office of the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State (2006–2007), Commissioner with the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Service Commission (2008–2011), a two-term member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and was Leader of the House between 2011 and 2019.

He equally held other offices as Commissioner and member of the State Executive Council in 2020, Deputy Chief of Staff (2020–2023) and Acting Chief of Staff (2023–February 14, 2024)

The astute administrator is a fellow of several professional bodies, a 5th Degree Black Belter and Certified Kukiwon Coach in Taekwondo, and is currently the Pastor-in-Charge of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Bayelsa Province 1 and a part-time Lecturer with the Redeemed Christian Bible College, University of Ede, Osun State.

Before his new appointment, Mr. Irorodamie Komonibo was the Principal Secretary to the Governor until February 14, 2024.

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