Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Ayibanua Duba has decried the series of litigations against the administration of Governor Douye Diri.

Reacting to a suit filed recently filed by 45 Non-Governmental organizations under BANGOF against the present administration over state of Government finance, Duba said the incessant decision of political actors and groups to drag the present administration to court will not help the quest to build a prosperous and united State.

According to him the numerous court cases filed against the Governor Douye Diri led administration were intended to distract, inconvenience and slow down the wheel of development in the state.

While noting that the state government recognizes the constitutional rights of 45 nebulous coalition of NGOs to sue the Bayelsa State government, he insisted that the court actions are distractions.

“Whereas the appropriate response will be made by the lawyers for the state in court in due season, we wish to note for the sake of the court of public opinion that these sorts of court actions, which are nothing more than fishing expeditions, distractions and a drain on the lean resources, will not be helpful in our quest to build a prosperous and united Bayelsa State”.

“This is yet another episode of a well-established but unfortunate pattern of over 12 litigations which have amounted to nothing more than judicial harassments and disturbances that this regime has been subjected to, since its inception”.

 

“It is our conviction that a most perfunctory and peripheral examination of public records available on the internet and elsewhere, would have more than satisfied the candid information seeker”.

 

“This is because in accordance with extant laws, there have been monthly Transparency briefings, since 2012 with several journalists and NGOs in attendance, that have provided the very documents that these NGOs are presumably requesting for in court. It is further instructive to recall that, as a prelude to the subsequently botched transition, a joint committee of the government of the day and representatives of the APC was formed and full disclosure, contained in hand over notes was prepared”.

 

“Why any group(s) in cohort or separately, will find it prudent to spend their resources suing for information that has previously been fully disclosed and remains available in the public domain is both profoundly troubling and indicative of deeply nursed malice against the PDP government”

 

“It is difficult to evade the conclusion that opponents of this regime, having failed to unseat the prosperity government of Governor Diri through numerous frivolous court cases, have purposed to distract and inconvenience it and prevent or slow down the wheel of development”.

 

 

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