Over N80 bn Cost of Bayelsa Airport Outrageous, Inflated Says Bayelsa APC

Bayelsa Airport

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa says the ‘astronomical’ rise in cost of the Bayelsa Cargo Airport from N40 to N80 billion was worrisome and indicates diversion of public funds

The APC said on Monday that the reaction of Bayelsa government to its allegations of using the project as a vehicle to divert public funds was a failed attempt to divert attention from obvious lack of fiscal discipline and prudence.

The party noted that “serious issues of accountability, due process and democratic governance” raised in its November 15 statement regarding the state’s airport project never addressed the issues it raised.

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Mr Doifie Buokoribo, Bayelsa APC Publicity Secretary in a statement issued in Yenagoa said the Bayelsa government carefully avoided the critical concerns raised by the party and dwelling on the insult and abuse of APC leaders

The party said that by the diversionary response, the Dickson government had only confirmed the allegation adding that, “Governor Dickson is guilty as charged.”

APC had criticized the Bayelsa government to borrowing from the money market at the current exorbitant interest rate, and described it as  a ploy to siphon public funds.

It said the huge interest on N62 bn paid on the N80 bn loan would stifle the state by monthly repayment obligations in the next eight years, adding that the project lacked vital intermodal network for easy accessibility.

APC alleged that the N80 billion project was executed at inflated costs, making it “clearly the most expensive airport project in Nigeria.”

 Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson had during an inspection tour of the airport in August put the cost at N90 bn.

Buokoribo noted that the Bayelsa government’s response was silent on the economic viability of funding such a capital intensive project from the money market at huge interest rates.

“Bayelsa State Government’s reaction to our statement of  November 15, 2018, on the Bayelsa Airport scam is that it did not address any of the issues we raised. This is unfortunate but understandable.

“Unfortunate because the government is attempting to divert the attention of the Bayelsa populace from the serious issues of accountability, due process and democratic governance.

“These concerns underscore our party’s intervention.  We said the airport project is a fraud. We said at more than N80 Billion, it is grossly inflated.

“We said the airport project is a deliberate cover by Governor Henry Seriake Dickson to launder state funds. We have no reason whatsoever to change our well thought-out position.

“Rather than address the concerns we raised, Governor Dickson, through his Information Commissioner, chose to abuse our party and its leaders, especially Chief Timipre Sylva.

“More than six years after it took office, it is pitiable that this so-called restoration government still considers former Governor Sylva its problem.

“If the restoration team does not know, shall we tell them that Sylva is not the issue here? It is Governor Dickson that needs to come clean.

“The APC is a party of serious-minded people. We are not in competition with anyone as to who will emerge best in exchange of insults and abuse. We are focused on a better life for all the people of Bayelsa State,” APC stated..

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Reacting, Iworiso-Markson, Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, said the past administration in the state failed to give the people a desperately needed international airport between 2007 and 2011.

Iworiso-Markson said that the Gov. Timipriye Syla-led administration failed to attempt to build an airport in spite of the huge resources at the disposal of his administration.

According to him, the past administration used what should have been a laudable idea of an airport project to milk the state and siphoned billions of naira into private pockets.

The commissioner challenged the APC to tell Bayelsa people and Nigerians what the former governor did with N300 billion agricultural loan the state took from the World Bank.

According to him, the past administration fritted away N3 billion Millennium Development Goal (MDG) funds made available to the state and foisted a bond obligation of N125 billion on the state.