Isaac Ombe, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri has defended self twice in two weeks over how he spent derivation and other funds accruing to the state.
Governor Diri’s defence is coming on the heels of the recent challenge by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state to the Niger Delta governors to explain how refunds from the Federal Government were utilised and the revelation by the Presidency that nine oil-producing states had received N625.43 billion 13 percent oil derivation, subsidy, and SURE-P refunds from the Federation Account in two years.
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Governor Diri had first defended himself during the visit of the Interim Administrator, Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Maj. Gen. Barry Ndiomu (retd) to the Government House, Yenagoa when he disclosed that the 13% oil derivation funds accruing to the state were being prudently spent, mostly on infrastructural development.
The governor insisted that his administration had nothing to hide and that the state’s monthly allocations from the Federation Account had always been made public through its monthly transparency briefings. He, however, explained that what the state received as 13% derivation refund from the time of the previous administration was being paid in instalments after it had been discounted.
Senator Diri equally stated that the amount did not make much impact in terms of development and maintained that the income and expenditure of the state were accounted for on a monthly basis through the transparency briefings.
Lamenting the cost of construction in a difficult terrain like Bayelsa State, Senator Diri said the cost was three or more times than elsewhere.
According to him, the cost of constructing a road project in the state was more than three or four flyovers in some other states even in the Niger Delta.
His words: “For people who are talking about the 13% derivation funds due the state, I want to state that for one reason or the other, we were under-paid. When we discovered that, we followed due process from the state executive council to the state House of Assembly.
“Approvals were given and the funds were discounted. I do not play politics with this kind of thing. Anybody who wants to see how we use our money, our monthly transparency briefing on our financial income and expenditure are available.
“One kilometre road we build in Yenagoa is more than three or four-kilometre road built elsewhere.”
Also responding to the Presidency’s revelation, Senator Diri said his administration had been prudent with the 13% derivation and other federation allocation funds or refunds.
The governor, in a statement from his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, explained that the focus of his administration was to open up the riverine state by linking rural communities by roads to enhance farming and development.
He said that the riverine nature of the state was a major challenge of development, which restricts access to rural communities by road as well as hinder agricultural produce from reaching markets in the state capital and other cities.
“This is why our administration is focused on constructing roads to rural communities where the bulk of the poor people live,” he said.
Senator Diri listed some of the ongoing big-ticket projects to include the 42km Sagbama-Ekeremor road, which costs N34.4 billion with seven bridges and five already done by his administration.
He also said the 22.2km Yenagoa-Oporoma road would gulp N31.4 billion as well as the 21km
Igbogene-Elebele road expected to gulp N54.56 billion.
“Our administration has also embarked on the first phase of the Nembe-Brass road with 10 bridges at a cost of N54 billion as well as the 10.2km dual carriageway Glory Drive road from the Ecumenical Centre at Igbogene to the Tombia-Amassoma road.”
Some other infrastructure projects embarked upon by the administration include the 4.5km Igbedi road, the media complex, Elebele bridge, Nembe Unity bridge, phase one of the Igbogene-Elebele ring road, lecture halls and laboratories at the Bayelsa Medical University, which were all completed and inaugurated during the administration’s second anniversary in February this year.
[6:23 pm, 05/12/2022] Fatai Dehide: Makinde mourns Oyo South Senatorial PDP chairman, Ojelabi
Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has described the late Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oyo South Senatorial District, Mr. Gbade Ojelabi, as a true party man whose contributions will be missed by the party.
The governor, who expressed his condolences to the immediate family of the deceased and the PDP family in the state, prayed to God to grant repose to his soul.
Makinde, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant (Print Media), Moses Alao, said Ojelabi gave his best for the progress of the party and that his death would leave a huge vacuum in the party, especially as it came at the height of electioneering towards the 2023 general elections.
The governor equally commiserated with the people of Eruwa and the Oyo South Senatorial District PDP, praying the Almighty to grant a repose of his soul.
