Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has ordered a post-mortem examination to medically ascertain the cause of death of his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who passed away on Thursday, December 11, at the age of 60.
Governor Diri gave the directive while receiving former President Goodluck Jonathan, who paid a condolence visit to the Bayelsa State Government and the family of the late deputy governor at the Government House in Yenagoa.
The governor also warned against the politicisation of Ewhrudjakpo’s death, particularly on social media, urging the public to respect the period of mourning in the state. In a statement issued on Sunday by his spokesman, Mr Daniel Alabrah, Diri appealed to residents to avoid speculation and instead focus on celebrating the life and service of the late deputy governor, whom he described as a dedicated and committed public servant.
He added that the autopsy was necessary to put an end to speculation surrounding the circumstances of the death.
“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,” Diri said.
The governor noted that the state government had declared three working days of mourning in honour of the late deputy governor and urged residents to emulate the former president’s show of solidarity.
“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,” he said.
Earlier, former President Jonathan described Ewhrudjakpo’s death as a painful loss to Bayelsa State and its people. He recalled the late deputy governor’s consistent support for activities organised by the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Foundation.
“For me, he was someone my foundation and I will never forget. He represented the governor in all our programmes,” Jonathan said.
He noted that Ewhrudjakpo had continued in that role even outside Nigeria.
“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,” he added.
Jonathan described the late deputy governor as humble, hardworking and widely respected, saying his dedication to duty should serve as a lesson to 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.
After the condolence visit, Governor Diri and former President Jonathan visited the wife of the late deputy governor, Barrister Beatrice Ewhrudjakpo, at their residence within the Government House complex.
