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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has doubled down on its criticism of the Bayelsa State Government over concerns about rising poverty and hunger in the state, declaring that blaming the federal government for the poverty index in the state is a disservice to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, had, in a swift reaction to the PDP’s earlier call on the state government to tackle rising hunger and poverty in the state, blamed the situation on national economic realities, stressing that the Diri administration had implemented wide-ranging programmes and infrastructural projects to improve the welfare of citizens.
However, the PDP, in another statement by its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ikaebimo Mark, stated that infrastructure without food on the table and an increase in the purchasing power of Bayelsans cannot defeat poverty and hunger.
According to the party, the response of the state government is the height of insensitivity and evidence that the administration is completely disconnected from the realities confronting the indigent people of Bayelsa.
It pointed out that the inability of the state government to name any clear wealth-creation, employment-generation and poverty-alleviation programmes is an admission of failure.
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“The PDP maintains that Bayelsans are poorer and hungrier today than they were before the Diri administration came into office, despite unprecedented revenues accruing to the state through statutory allocations and the 13 percent derivation fund. The Party finds it curious that a government that has been in office for over six years still appears unable to point to any clearly defined and impactful wealth-creation, employment-generation, or poverty-alleviation programme that has substantially improved the lives of the people. The government’s inability to identify such programmes in its response is, in itself, a tacit admission that the administration has fallen short of Bayelsans’ expectations in this critical area.
“The Party also considers it the height of irresponsibility for the state government to continue shifting the blame for hunger and poverty to the APC-led Federal Government while failing to account for the enormous resources accruing to Bayelsa State. Such a posture does a disservice to the renewed hope efforts of the Federal Government under President Tinubu to reposition the nation’s economy. Every tier of government must accept responsibility for the welfare of the people within its constitutional mandate. Bayelsans deserve solutions, not excuses.”
The opposition party reiterated its call on the Diri administration to urgently declare a comprehensive state economic recovery, wealth-creation, employment-generation and food security initiative, backed by measurable targets, timelines and transparent implementation.
It added that it is time for the state government to invest directly in the people through industrial development, entrepreneurship support, agricultural value chains and skills acquisition.
The PDP again offered to work with the government by providing practical and urgent policy solutions capable of addressing the worsening hardship confronting Bayelsans.
