Faac Disbursement: Gov. Diri’s Led Prosperity Government Receives N27.54Bn For August 2022.

– No Commensurate Infrastructure.

The APC Integrity Group has called on the Senator Douye Diri led PDP Government to account for the huge federal allocations the State has received since the begining of the year, 2022.

The group spokesman Mr Freedom Ayabowei, described the prosperity administration as a government without a vision and direction, stressing that the government has recorded zero infrastructural projects taken away the projects of the previous administration.

Bayelsa State since it’s creation has absolutely relied on funds from the central pool. The State IGR only rose from N60m to N1Bn during the previous administration and has since remained static.

Available data reveals that there is a correlation between high Federal Revenue Allocation, IGR and development but this is not the case in Bayelsa today.

For instance, the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) July and August 2022 disbursement to Bayelsa State is about N25Bn and N27.54Bn respectively, and the figures for other months since the month of January has been relatively high in comparison to previous years due to the Russia/Ukraine war and it’s attendant increase in the cost of oil globally.

The records of Faac disbursement to Bayelsa State from January 2022 till date as documented by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Bayelsa state transparency brief for March and April is as follows;
-https://nigerianstat.gov.ng/elibrary
-https://independent.ng/bayelsa-received-n34-037bn-allocation-in-march-april-govt/

January – N10.308Bn
February – N13.054Bn
March – N15.21Bn
April – N22.206Bn
May – N23.82Bn
June – N24.43Bn
July – N25Bn
August – N27.54Bn

Mr Fred lamented that despite the huge faac disbursements to the state in the first quarter of the year, the state seem to have accepted the regressive approach of the Prosperity Government towards the disclosure of the state’s income and expenditure which has being in practice since 2012.

Mr. Fred Ayabowei, commended Dr John Idumange for speaking to the hoarding of details of revenues and other financial transactions by the Gov. Diri led Prosperity Government earlier this year, condemning the attempt by the government to mute Dr. Idumange’s voice and other concerned Bayelsans, who pointed out the wrong policy framework of the government in transparency and accountability.

It is already over three years since the Gov. Diri led Prosperity Government assumed office with poor infrastructure, poor agricultural system, collapsing educational system, dilapidated health facilities, poorly rehabilitated internal roads, total abandonment of the state’s radio station, dilapidated event centres etc, despite the release of the N32bn Federal Government Projects Refund with a steadily increasing federal allocation.

The educational sector is in a dilapidated state where very important schools like the Ijaw National Academy which is among the first twelve boarding schools in the State, which is situated in Gov. Diri’s Local Government Area, where our children were given free access to quality education, is now a shameful sight and abandoned project.

Non-academic staffs of the only State owned University, the Niger Delta University (NDU), and other State owned higher institutions like Colleges of Education and Polytechnics have being on strike since December, 2021, due to non-implementation of promotions and implementation of the new minimum wage approved by the Federal Government and State Governors but, the Gov. Diri led Prosperity Government has not made efforts to resolve issues with the striking staffs to call off the strike.

Bayelsans expected Governor Douye Diri as a brain child of the previous administration would perceive the great need to properly manage these important institutions as listed above and other institutions like the Medical University, the Bayelsa Diagnostic Centre, which is beneficial to all Bayelsan beyond party affiliations have being neglected without improvement and dilapidated medical facilities.

Bayelsans wants to know what the Gov. Diri led Prosperity Government have being spending the State financial resources (funds) on for the past two years plus? Or is Governor Douye Diri hoarding the State funds to play politics for his second tenure?

Previous Governments equally had political issues to deal with in their administrations but, were still resolute and committed to the Development of the State. What is the Gov. Diri led Prosperity Government committed to, since the inception of the government, is it by impoverishing Bayelsans in the name of politics?

The group spokesman further lamented the poor developmental strides of the Diri led Prosperity government despite the huge allocation received and the scary loans obtained by the government within his brief period in office. The group also vowed that henceforth on a monthly basis, since the government has chosen not to disclose to Bayelsans what accrues the state, they will publish it for all Bayelsans to see.

Mr. Fred Ayabowei also called on the EFCC to beam their searchlight on the Bayelsa State Government as Bayelsans are worried about their future.