Governor Dickson of Bayelsa has said that despite the dwindling statutory allocations the state receives from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, (FAAC) in recent times, his administration would strive to complete all abandoned projects it inherited.
Describing government as a continuum, he explained that, apart from restarting work on some of the abandoned projects such as the five star Tower Hotel, the present administration has since embarked on repaying debts and other liabilities bequeathed to it.
Governor Dickson, who stated this, while fielding questions from reporters in Government House, Yenagoa, noted that, but for the drop in revenue accruing to the state, most of the projects would have been completed.
His words, “I’m not somebody who does things haphazardly nor somebody who abandon projects. There will be no abandoned projects under me. We are not going to leave any abandoned projects that we met to be still abandoned for the sake of our people. I came to government as an angry Bayelsan, considering the level of abandonment, neglect and under development of our place and people under the pretext of the idea that we have a difficult terrain and we cannot build good bridges, roads and so on.
That is something that has angered me as a youth growing up and as a product of the Ijaw movement. But, with the opportunity I have today and the support of our people, I’m proving to the whole world that, we can actually turn this so called difficult terrain around.”
The Bayelsa State chief executive expressed optimism that, with the resilience and prudence, which forms an integral part that drives the restoration agenda, his administration would be able to fulfill its electioneering campaign promises to the people.
According to the governor, “When I was campaigning for office, I knew the profundity of the agenda I wanted to pursue if elected, and if you read my inaugural speech, it captured the depth of the revolution I knew I wanted to pursue. And, now two years and three months down the line, nobody who comes to Bayelsa is in doubt about all the areas I was going to make a difference, whether it is in the area of reform of the governance process, transparency and accountability and openness that now drives our government in the area of turning Yenagoa into a massive construction site, declaration of state emergency in the education sector or in the promotion and defense of the Ijaw fundamental interest”
Continuing he said, “In all of those things looking back, I feel a sense of modest achievements that have been made. But, are we where we should be? The answer is no, but we have laid a foundation and the evidence of all to see that, this state and the Ijaw nation will never be the same again”.
Daniel Iworiso-Markson
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State