Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson has sworn-in Kemela Okara as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) with a charge on him to bring his wealth of experience to bear.
Dickson noted that Okara is not a stranger to the programmes and policies of the Restoration Government and, therefore, he should not find it difficult to execute his functions as a lot is expected of him in the new assignment.
He urged him to rise above board while announcing to all that Okara did not lobby for the job but was appointed because of his track record in private and public service which he also displayed while serving the state as the Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment.
The governor, while expressing confidence in the ability of Okara, reminded him that part of his responsibility would be to coordinate the day to day activities of the government for the overall good of people of the state.
He noted that the office of the SSG is very sensitive as it is the fulcrum of government’s officialdom and so he must learn to keep private matters private while discharging his day to day functions.
Okara, who hails from Bumoundi in Ekpetiama Clan of Yenagoa Local Government Area, holds an LLB degree with Honours from the University of Middlesex, London and he is a member of the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn, London, England having been called to the English Bar in 1989.
He was also called to the Nigerian Bar in December 1989 and was one of the founding partners of Streamsowers & Köhn, a major commercial law firm located in the heart of Victoria Island, Lagos, with branch offices in Abuja and Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Okara served as Commissioner for Trade, Industry and Investment from from April 2014 to February 2016 and was re-appointed to the same portfolio on April 13, 2016 after the re-election of Gov. Dickson for a second term.
The new SSG was responsible for developing the Bayelsa State Industrialization Policy, designing the masterplan for the State Eco-Industrial Park, the masterplan for the State Power Generation Hub as well as providing conducive trading infrastructure, and developing the strategic plan for viable inward investment into Bayelsa State.
