Bayelsa gov orders autopsy to unravel cause of deputy’s sudden death

The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has directed that an autopsy be carried out on his late deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to medically determine the cause of his death.

Diri gave the directive during a condolence visit by a former President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, to him and the Ewhrudjakpo family on Saturday at the Government House, Yenagoa, noting that a lot was being said about the death on social media.

Jonathan, who was also once a deputy governor of the state, described the death as a sad moment for all Bayelsans and recalled how Ewhrudjakpo represented Diri and mobilised the state House of Assembly and Executive Council to the Jonathan Foundation’s Democracy Dialogue programme in Benin, Edo State.

“For me, he was somebody 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 this year, he also mobilised assembly members and commissioners to Abuja to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Foundation.

“Whenever I am having a programme, Bayelsa State is always represented. It is quite a sad moment for all of us,” Jonathan mourned, describing Ewhrudjakpo as very humble, saying nobody had anything negative to say about him.

“I was also a deputy governor, but he worked harder than me. He appeared not to rest. This is even a lesson for us all to find time to rest.

“We pray that this state does not experience this ugly incident again. We pray God to cushion the effect of the sad incident on the state, particularly on the immediate family.”

Gov. Diri thanked Jonathan for being the first person to officially pay a condolence visit to the government and the Ewhrudjakpo family.

He cautioned those politicising the unfortunate incident, particularly on social media, to desist and instead eulogise the memory of the man, whom he said served the state with all his heart.