By Chiemeka Green, Yenagoa
The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming November 16 Bayelsa State governorship election, Senator Douye Diri said that the monthly allocation coming into Bayelsa is infinitesimal compared to the money taken away from the state by the federal government.
Senator Diri made this known today during an interactive session with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists at the Ernest Ikoli Press Center in Yenagoa.
The PDP flag bearer also lamented on the level of development in the state since its creation, saying he is not satisfied with the performance of PDP successive administrations in the state for the past twenty-three years.
He said, “We are not satisfied with what have come in to Bayelsa and the level of development we have seen. As a party even on self evaluation, we know that within the twenty-three years, there are certain regimes that didn’t do well as a party and so that was the reason some persons even left government to go and join opposition.
“But again, let us look at it from the other side. For those of you who knew the old Yenagoa, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Southern Ijaw and particularly Yenagoa, am also satisfied to tell you a whole lot of development has taken place in Yenagoa. The PDP successive government have contributed so much to the development of Yenagoa as our state capital comparatively to what you know as the old Yenagoa local government.
“I tend to disagree that the money coming into Bayelsa compared to the money taken away from Bayelsa is infinitesimal. If Bayelsa is giving so much to the federal system, why are we having only thirteen percent and then we are crying over that thirteen percent that is nowhere near to the development of this state considering our terrine and our environment.
“That we have thirteen percent of the derivation out of one hundred percent giving by us, we should be taking about controlling our resources and paying taxes to the federal government. That is the practice worldwide. Nobody goes to sit down with their plate at the end of every month to collect what they called federal allocation and that federal allocation is used to develop other parts of Nigeria and we are struggling and abusing ourselves with a pantry thirteen percent.
“I want to urge you to join me in the crusade for the abrogation of the Land Use Act and because that is what has deprived the Niger Delta from its owe wealth and if that is done then we can be asking ourselves how much do we have, how much have we put in the development of Bayelsa.
On the issue of who his running mate is, Senator Diri said, “Let me refer you, go to the INEC website. If you go to the INEC website, you will know who my running mate is. I ran the primaries under the platform which is my party, the PDP.
“The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers me to nominate a running mate and when I do that, am doing that alone. Am doing that through my party and my party has the responsibility to forwarding that name to INEC. It is only when INEC has published that he becomes my running mate.
