From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State Government on Sunday, said its attention has been drawn to the consistent falsehood been circulated by members of the opposition -All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state on social media.

The government said, It found it ridiculous that the APC instead of facing real issues, has taken to cheap blackmail with the intention to smear the administration of Governor Douye Diri.

A statement issued by the Director General, New Media, Dr.

“Instead of accepting the fact that the APC-controlled Federal Government had strangulated the nation’s economy, the state chapter of the party plays the ostrich by trying to blame the rising poverty, inflation and youth unemployment on the state government that is alive to its responsibility in creating thousands of jobs”.

“Apart from employing hundreds of young people into the critical health sector of the civil service, numerous jobs have been created through the massive ongoing civil works, roads construction and other projects across the State”.

“The Prosperity Government is deliberately building the local economy with the monthly grants to youths and women entrepreneurs as well as through its several skills acquisition programmes”.

“It is laughable that the opposition makes false accountability claims against the administration by alleging that it has abandoned the monthly transparency briefing, which was established by a law. Only a few days ago, the government rendered up-to-date account of its income and expenditure during the transparency briefing for the months of April and May, which was was covered and reported by various media outlets, which were present at the briefing”.

“Moreover, it is an opposition that sees nothing good in the state that will equally alleged misuse of the derivation fund arrears paid to Bayelsa and other Niger Delta states. Every patriotic Bayelsans knows that the funds and other receipts have already been committed to the various ongoing projects in the state”.

“Unfortunately, we are contending with a vicious opposition that lacks tact and decorum. We have so far kept our books open and have ensured prudence ad integrity in our contractual dealings. We therefore challenge the opposition to provide evidence of its claim of over-inflated contract figures”.

“On alleged local government stolen funds, those  spreading the lies might also need to provide documentary evidence of this malicious falsehood against the Governor. There are consequences for spreading fake news”.

“It must be noted that this government has consistently supported local government administration, particularly in the provision of financial buffers to augment the salaries of their workers and primary school teachers. Constitutionally, this is not the responsibility of the state government”.

“The APC equally alleged a fake N47 billion investment in agriculture by the state government. This is obviously a mirage that can only be found in the warped imagination of its authors. At no time has this government spent such huge amount on agriculture only”.

“On the industrialization of the State, the government is making conscious efforts to provide basic infrastructure, including the strategic roads to support this endeavour”.

“It is a known fact that a greater part of the first term of the current administration has been devoted to building new roads and opening up of many riverine communities, which we believe is the foundation for real development and industrialization of the State”.

On the Plastic Industry, Kola said, it was earlier handed over to a private company. But, sadly, the PPP arrangement did not yield the expected results. Saying the government is seeking new partnership for the plastic industry and the oil palm estates.

He said, the completed cassava processing plant, will soon commence commercial starch production. “This is a huge investment and the Prosperity Government is excited about this project that was inherited from the immediate past administration”.

“The Prosperity Government under the able leadership of Senator Douye Diri and his very supportive Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, is serious-minded and focused on delivering greater and new opportunities to Bayelsans. It has so far recorded outstanding achievements in various sectors for continuity and consolidation in the second term”.

“This government assures Bayelsans that we will remain single-minded in our developmental agenda for the state and will never disappoint them”.