Date Published: 07/30/09

N1.2b Presidential "One-Day" Bayelsa visit

Let me from this outset blame the President of Nigeria, Alhaji Umaru Ya’Adua for continually encouraging extravagancy and corruption in high places. In short, anyone who describes the President as a double-speak person, cannot be faulted. The public should ask the President what action he would take against the Bayelsa Governor Sylva for spending the kind of amount he used in hosting the President’s 1-day State visit to Bayelsa. The President arrived Bayelsa the morning on July 21, 2009 was given reception at the Peace Park arena after he had commissioned only the 20MW Gas Turbine at Mingi. The president spent only about five hours in the State before flying back. I travelled down to Bayelsa and was there that day.

So, was that what Bayelsa State government has allowed N1.2billion to go down the drain for? This should be properly probed and the exercise should include the Presidency for encouraging such a wasteful spending.

This a President that once shouted that immunity clause should be removed from our nation’s Constitution and now nothing has been heard of him trying to realize what he busied Nigerians into believing his disposition. This is a President that has openly continued to patronize those that looted the treasury of their State governments, awarding one of them N40billion Fertilizer supply contract and N53billion arms supply to federal government. This is a President that on one hand preaches tolerance and on the other ordered that hapless people in the Niger Delta area should be visited with such military bombardment. This is a President that would propose a budget and never execute up to 60% of the ‘deceitful document’ called Budget that he presented to the nation through the National Assembly.

Kenneth Dagogo, Bukuru Road, Jos, Plateau State

dagogok@yahoo.com