…why Bayelsans don’t want him return
It was a bizarre tale at a recent mega rally in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State
capital, when it was revealed how the All Progressives Congress (APC)
candidate, Timipre Sylva, ruined the state economy through massive
corruption and abuse of power as governor between 2007 and 2011.
The revelation came from the Secretary of Bayelsa Solidarity Forum,
Comrade James Ebipade, who led the forum to the rally where over 400 other
non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) gathered to raise awareness on why
Sylva’s bid to return to power should be rejected by the people.
The rally, tagged “Operation Reject Sylva and APC”, was staged under the
banner of the Save Bayelsa Movement.
In a statement released at the end of the rally, Ebipade revealed that
between 2007 and 2011 when Sylva was governor, he received a total of
N708, 895, 925 as allocations from the Federation Account.
This amount, he stated, was not inclusive of the bond and several loans
his administration got but never utilized as expected.
In the statement, Ebipade also revealed that in the period under review,
the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state stood at N22,02
billion, raising the total accruals to the Sylva administration to a
staggering N780,915, 925.
Out of this amount, it was further revealed, only N68 billion was spent on
capital expenditure just as it was claimed by the forum that in spite of
the huge resources, there was nothing to show for the allocations received
as well as the bonds and loans.
“There was absolutely no accountability”, he stated.
The forum bemoaned the financial recklessness of Sylva, noting that
recurrent expenditure under him as governor was N648,512, 509, which it
claimed indicated that the former governor spent less than N60 billion for
capital projects.
In the light of the revelations, the forum said it would be a disaster if
Sylva was allowed to return to the Government House and why the various
NGOs had to come together to sensitize the general public on the inherent
evils of the APC’s candidate’s agenda which must not be allowed to hold in
the state.
“Bayelsans naturally have the right to wonder and ask whether this is the
kind of change Sylva and APC want to bring back into government in the
state. And if not, whether the welfare of Bayelsans is of no consequence
to them? Otherwise, why must Sylva now seek to return Bayelsa to the days
of the locust?”, the forum asked.
Ebipade opined that the situation was so bad that when the incumbent
governor, Seriake Dickson, took over the mantle of leadership, the state
appeared like a waste land with the added burden of having to spend a huge
part of the state resources to service inherited debts.
“So why does Sylva still want to come back? Why does a man who was not
thought fit to be a minister think he is fit to be governor of Bayelsa
State? Does he think Bayelsans are such gluttons for punishment or are
possessed of such short memories that they will allow him to further
inflict on them those regrettable wasted years?”, the forum stated.