Nathan Tamarapreye
The Movement for the Survival of Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta, (MOSIEND), has kicked against the approval the Bayelsa State House of Assembly has given to Gov. Douye Diri to get a fresh loan of N17bn.
Diri on November 11 secured the approval of Bayelsa House of Assembly for an additional N17 bn loan from multiple sources to fund his administration’s policies and programmes for the people.
The State House of Assembly on Tuesday granted the request on return from its long vacation, at its plenary.
The chairman of the Central Zone, of MOSIEND, Mr Taribolou Ogboriyo, said this while reacting to the development in Yenagoa.
He described the action of the lawmakers as painful and untimely, particularly as Bayelsa has been classified among the top five poorest states in Nigeria.
He said that there is lack of developmental projects in the state nine months after the Douye Diri administration came onboard.
According to him, barely two weeks after assumption of office on February 14, 2020 the administration sought and got a N2.9 bn loan to buy cars.
Ogboriyo noted that the state House of Assembly was largely responsible for the indebtedness of the state as the Assembly always gave approval to every executive loan request sent to the House without scrutiny.
He stated that such rubber stamp moves by the House of Assembly would be resisted henceforth, maintaining that the Prosperity Government had borrowed close to N30b since inception.
He also called on Diri to refrain from such borrowings, stressing that there is no justification for the loans.
“First of all, we are very displeased over the actions of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly for approving the loan of N17 billion which was requested by Governor Douye Diri for reasons best known to them.
“MOSIEND frowns on the development because it was ill-timed and not in the interest of the people of the state.
“We want to put it on record that the Bayelsa State House of Assembly is to blame for the indebtedness of Bayelsa, because they always approve every executive bill sent to the House.
“Since the government came on board, we have not seen any sign of development except the minor work going on at Tombia Junction, and several monies have come into the state within this period of nine months that this government came into power, yet, this has not translated into development.
“It is sad and painful that, having this in mind, the Bayelsa State House of Assembly would still give the go ahead to the state government to borrow more money.
“We are not happy about this, and we want this Bayelsa State House of Assembly to take note that any more of such rubber stamp demonstrations would, henceforth, be resisted by MOSIEND and the Izon nation.
“It is obvious that they don’t have the interest of Bayelsans at heart, and we will not accept it.
“This government, in less than 10 months, has borrowed about N30 billion, and has also received the sum of over N90 billion as federal allocation – with nothing to show for it.
“We also call on Governor Douye Diri to desist from such attitude of borrowing because, in the end, it is Bayelsa people that will suffer for it.
“This government does not have any reason to borrow because there is nothing on ground to justify such borrowings,” Ogboriyo said.
Checks at the official website of the Debt Management Office shows that the debt profile of Bayelsa State as at June 30, 2020 stands at N150.05 bn.
However, Mr Daniel Alabra, Chief Press Secretary to Diri maintains that loans have become an integral part of public administration to meet budgetary shortfalls, noting that the Federal Government was providing N10 bn out of the amount.