Bayelsa APC says Diri-led PDP administration is failure

The Bayelsa Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration has failed to meet the expectations of the Bayelsa people within the past three years.

Dr Dennis Otiotio, Chairman of APC in the state regretted that the mandate given freely by the people of Bayelsa but awarded to the PDP was being squandered by the PDP which has performed abysmally.

Otiotio spoke on Friday at Federated Correspondents Chapel Forum in Yenagoa.

The APC chieftain noted that the economy of the state has stifled business with many small businesses closing shop and leaving the state in droves.

Otiotio said the Gov Douye Diri-led PDP administration has failed in all aspects of governance from water to road to power, amidst huge revenue accruing to Bayelsa.

Oitiotio said that it is ironic that Bayelsa, an oil producing state amongst the states receiving the highest oil derivation revenues could be listed as the second poorest states in the recent poverty rankings.

The APC chairman said that it was regrettable that members of PDP were applauding the mediocre performance of the Diri administration without considering the funds at its disposal and comparing notes.

“When you live in Yenagoa, you grow up in Yenagoa, you have not gone to another place. you will think that Yenagoa is the ultimate. That is why anything they do in Yenagoa, people will just be shouting, they are trying.

“Like the overhead bridge that they did, people will be shouting that it is a flyover. Then when you get to places like Kano or Calabar or even Port Harcourt and you see what is there, then you will ask what is happening here.

“PDP people think that Douye Diri is trying. What is he trying with the billions that come to the state? He is a failure. Douye Diri has failed in all ramifications and in all aspects of governance.

“Let us look at it, what people need is water, light and housing. He has not built one single estate. You are aware that the House of Assembly quarters has been sold to the current House of Assembly members,” Otiotio said.

He equally observed that there is no replacement estate, adding that the Commissioners estate has been sold to the current commissioners with no replacement.

Otiotio pointed out that the Judges quarters that the past Seriake Dickson government commissioned is currently being remodelled and passed off as a new project for commissioning. 

“It is all deception. He is just deceiving the people.

“Let’s go to water, why can’t we treat the stream water and use it like what they do in the US? Because they are not fore-sighted. If they travel out, they will just stay in the hotel, enjoy themselves and come back.

“Are you not surprised that every house in Bayelsa must dig borehole. Even the Ministry of Water Resources relies on cart-pushing water vendors for water supply.

“And then you come and tell us there is governance. When you want to measure performance, we should be able to look at the critical sectors,” the APC chieftain said

On power, Otiotio said that various states have been given licences to generate power as transmission is in the hands of federal government.

He observed that the power that Bayelsa government currently uses is generated by Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board adding that the state government has abandoned its responsibilities.

“What have they done concerning road? The bypass at Igbogene was already stabilized  before they took over and they have been doing it. Dickson did it for eight years. Douye Diri is still doing it and they are proud of themselves.

“How much is it. Let them come out and tell us how much has been paid before they came in and how they have paid for that road. Let us know how much they are spending on these projects,” Otiotio demanded.