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Governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in Bayelsa State, Udengs Eradiri, has decried the the poor ranking of the state in poverty and unemployment.
He stated that the ranking of Bayelsa as the second poorest state in Nigeria after Sokoto State, and the third with the worst unemployment rate is proof of the failure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Gov Duoye Diri.
Eradiri, who spoke at a campaign rally, in Yenagoa, yesterday said Bayelsa’s poor rankings in all economic and developmental indices is an eloquent testimony that the PDP and Gov Diri, had failed the state.
He said, “The ranking of Bayelsa State as the second poorest state in Nigeria after Sokoto State is proof of the failure of the PDP led by Gov Diri.
“The multi-dimensional poverty index is alarming and disastrous. PDP and Diri have nothing to campaign with. There is stinking poverty in the state despite the small population and huge revenue allocations from various sources.”
He attributed the poverty index of the state to years of clueless, incompetent, avarice, profligate, and anti-people policies of the PDP, and insisted that the current PDP-led administration had no idea of how to tackle the challenges facing Bayelsa State.
He further said: “Why is Governor Douye Diri and the PDP still campaigning for a second term? Data technology company, StatiSense, recently unveiled the multidimensional poverty index of 2022 report of the National Bureau of Statistic (NBS). That report exposed the number of people living in multidimensional poverty in the oil-rich Niger Delta states.
“That report is alarming, distressing and goes to show the failure of the PDP leadership in Bayelsa since 1999. It shows that the PDP leadership and the current government of Douye Diri diverted and squandered all our commonwealth.
“Bayelsa has the red flag in all developmental indices. It will shock you to know that 2.61 million people out of the 2.9 million people are languishing in abject poverty. This is to say that 88 per cent of our population are extremely poor despite the humongous resources and revenue coming into this state.
“While Sokoto, a desert, occupies the first position, Bayelsa, an oil-rich state, comes second. What other proof do we need to know that the PDP has remained the whirlwind that will not blow this state and our people any good.
“What other evidence do we need as a people to know that this forthcoming election affords us the opportunity to kick out Diri and the PDP. They mean no good for our state and should be given a red card”.
He called on the people to vote for Labour Party’s credible alternative anchored on a manifesto based on people, education, agriculture, power (PEAP) agenda.
