A statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, said the governor made this known when he paid a condolence visit to the family at her residence in Yenagoa on Sunday.
According to him, Abiri who died on Thursday, August 3, aged 65 years, was his prayer partner who always joined him to pray for the progress of the state.
Diri, who described the deceased as a sister and devout Christian, noted that she had the opportunity to illegally amass wealth but chose integrity over corruption as the state’s topmost judicial officer for many years.
He noted that if it were possible, the state would have ensured that she lived longer to lend her wealth of experience to governance as she was the only living past chief judge in the state.
Diri said, “These are very tough times for us as a state and the families of Abiri and Waritimi. As a state, we have lost a legal icon, a jurist of national repute, and an incorruptible judge.
“I came to condole with the family but I also need to be condoled with because she was my friend, sister, and prayer partner.
“There is no day as a Chief Judge that after finishing the official bit we would not hold hands to pray. She always led the prayer that God should grant me wisdom to lead the state. I will not have that anymore with her, both in and after office.
“The Waritimi family was like a part of my family until I was sworn in by my sister, who was the longest-serving Chief Judge. She also swore in three other governors in Bayelsa and one in Rivers State.
“Her demise is a loss to Aleibiri and Adagbabiri communities in Ekeremor and Sagbama local government areas and indeed to Bayelsa as well as Nigeria.
“As a Chief Judge, if she wanted to be corrupt, the N250 million by Bayelsa government and the N200 million by Rivers for the launch of her books would not mean anything to her. But she chose the path of righteousness. Christendom lost a practising Christian.”
