By Jackson Udeani – The Bayelsa State Government has challenged the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) in the next governorship election, Diepreye Sylva to account for how he spent the N300 billion agricultural loans from the World Bank and the N3 billion MDG funds he received while in office.
The governor, Seriake Dickson, said his opponent left a staggering debt of N432 billion debts with nothing to show that the money was utilised for the purposes it was borrowed.
Dickson also dismissed claims by APC that it was planning to raise fresh loan, which it accused the state government of planning to use to prosecute the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
But the governor in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the APC’s claim of a fresh loan was misplaced and a clear mischief on the part of the opposition party in the state.
“Under Sylva, there was routine diversion of funds meant for payment of civil servants’ salaries and benefits. A whopping N300 billion agric loan from the World Bank had no tangible effect in the state.
“Where were the projects established or farms set up or the fisheries development as proposed under the loan? he queried.
Adding, “What happened to the N3 billion MDG funds made available to Sylva? It is unfortunate that Sylva left a legacy of a crippling debt profile in Bayelsa State as governor. As a matter of fact, the bond obligation of the state totaled N125 billion under his watch.
According to the statement, the state government was only drawing from an existing loan facility that had since been approved for the airport project it said was at 60 per cent level of completion.
He stated that the state has no such plan to borrow now, adding that it was unfortunate that the Sylva campaign was raising the issue of loan, whereas the APC candidate and his campaign officials should be ashamed of their past in this regard.
The statement applauded Mr. Dickson for the prudent management of state resources, adding that it was evident the huge infrastructure and other development projects in the last three and half years.
The statement said Sylva’s profligacy as governor ranked Bayelsa State as one of the most indebted states in Nigeria, adding that it was only reversed under the Dickson administration, which had since serviced the debt to a manageable level of N90 billion naira and thereby making the state now one of the least indebted states in the country.
