The Peoples Democratic Party, Bayelsa State has called on the Prosperity Administration being led by Governor Douye Diri to publish the details of money spent during the 30th years anniversary of the state to enable the public know how their resources were spent.
The state chairman of the party, George Turnah made the demand on Wednesday in Yenagoa during the party's SEC meeting.
He said "We demand that the Diri administration urgently publishes in naira and kobo exactly on how much was spent on Bayelsa at thirty celebration. And show the budgeting line that authorized that spending, stressing that until this is done the administration owes Bayelsa State a public apology for misusing their scarce resources."
"The hunger, the hardship, and the weight of life that rests on our people. God has sent us alive to see this day"
As a political party, we are indeed grateful that God has preserved the people of the People's Democratic Party both in Bayelsa and at the national level. When some of those who grew inside this same party, God used some of us under the leadership of His Excellency Chief Dr. Yesom Wike to rescue, restore, rebuild this party."
"Today I stand before you as an opposition leader to speak truths. I speak so that ordinary Bayelsans can see clearly who has moved with them and who has failed to stand with them.
"I speak so that the people of the Democratic Party will be seen for what they truly is. The only serious pathway left for the development, prosperity, and empowerment of our people"
"We are not where we should be, but we are also not where we were as of 1996. congratulate and thank every leader who has carried the burden of this state".
According to him the thirty years of statehood is not endorsement for wasteful celebration as done by the Douye Diri administration while ordinary Bayelsans go to bed hungry, parents cannot pay school fees, hospitals have no drugs and roads remain a death trap.
The government spent huge sums of public money on a lavish celebration. Some reports put a total cost at 15 billion Naira, others say the state government spent 25billion naira . What ever that is the true figure, the 2026 appropriation law of Bayelsa State contains no provision for such an occasion.
That means the money was spent outside the budget.
In any serious democracy that certainly would have been an impeachable offense.
The state house assembly that should have checked this waste has shown that it is a rubber stamp.
He started " l came into leadership with character and integrity and I have for once been disorganized by paid data boys who attacked me on social media and I will never be.
He posited that he had stayed focused for the job of the opposition holding the government to account and rebuilding the party into the vehicle that can lead Bayelsa out of poverty.
He said throughout the six years of Dr. Good luck Jonathan administration he did not receive any contract form his government not in his name not in the name of anybody on my behalf and he challenged anybody who was in the service of Nigeria for the presidency to ministries to departments to agencies.
He said "Any human being living or dead that gave me any contract anywhere in Nigeria or called me any time to say Mr President said we should give you this to help yourself or if there is any list recoomending to people and my name was there, let them come and say so"
"When I served as Special Assistant on youth development at NDDC I left foot prints "
He averred that Ogbia people were carrying fake rumors that he was given contract by President Jonathan to build Ogbia village but he converted the money, adding that
today the same people who procured my prosecution have gone again to tarnish my image on face book, they should remember that their own principal himself is also under the EFFCC investigation. If they don't know they should go and ask him.
"The Attorney General of Bayelsa state had to rush to court to stop further investigation at all cost.
I hear he Turnah um the one telling you. I do not fear death and I know that my life is God's hand and I will continue to speak truth to power at all times
Any one who has any records that George Turnah was convicted for money laundering, for obtaining money by false pretence, for forgery, or for conspiracy which where the offences for which I was charged, the person should bring it out.
If you have any document that I was convicted by any court let the person bring them before the Bayelsa public."he said
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