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Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, has said the government is not making any effort whatsoever to obtain new loans.
Iworiso-Markson, who stated this in a statement apparently in reaction to a statement credited to the governor-elect, David Lyon, who raised the alarm over last minute financial transactions of the Governor Seriake Dickson administration, said the government had not taken any major loan in over two and a half years.
He said the government would not present any fresh budget to the House of Assembly for 2020 and explained the 2019 budget would run till the end of the administration in February 14, 2020.
The commissioner stressed that the Restoration Government under the leadership of Dickson, had not also received any loan advance from any financial institution.
He said Dickson is reputed to have led a transparent and decent government in almost eight years and would not initiate any step that could impact adversely on any incoming administration.
The commissioner said Dickson gave a standing instruction that there should be no employment and major decisions that could affect any incoming government in line with the high standards for which his administration is reputed.
He said the government would present a full financial account of the state under the Restoration Government which would be made available to the public.
He said whosoever would take over government would realise that Bayelsa had no money for anybody to steal as the limited funds had been tied to life-changing projects.
Iworiso-Markson urged well-meaning Nigerians to discountenance the fears being expressed in some quarters about imaginary loans, describing such as unnecessary and misplaced.
He added that the government has received approval from the Assembly on the Self-Accounting Law on disbursements to the judiciary and the legislature and has made arrangements for their funding in accordance with the law.
Meanwhile, All Progressives Congress (APC) transition committee, set up by Lyon, has inaugurated 14 sub-committees to enable it achieve set objectives within the timeframe given.
Chairman of the transition committee, Werinipre Seibarugu, while inaugurating the sub-committees in Yenagoa, urged members to exhibit a high level of commitment in the discharge of their assignment.
Seibarugu reminded them of the need to be selfless as the outcome of their efforts would determine how well the incoming APC government would be able to tackle myriad of challenges facing the state.
The committees are Finance with Atei Beredugo as chairman; Public Service and Pensions with Obegha Oworibo as chairman; Special Intervention Projects and Programmes with Seiyefa Brisibe as chairman; Education, Information and Culture with Ongoebi Etebu as chairman.
Others are Movable and Immovable Assets with Eddy Orubo as chairman; Works and Infrastructure with Austen Pabor as chairman while Judiciary, Legislature and Justice has Nimi Barigha-Amange as chairman.
A former governorship aspirant and a retired commissioner of Police, Diseye Poweigha heads the Security and Conflict Resolution; Godknows Powell is chairman Local Government Administration and Pensions while Dennis Otiotio is chairman, Contractual Process and Bayelsa State-Owned Companies.
Youths, Sports, Women and Physically Challenged Committee has as its Chairman, Abel Ebifemowei while Matthew Karimo heads Public Utilities, Environment, Oil and Gas and Capital City Development.
The rest are Health and Agriculture with Theodore Allison as chairman while Clearing of Reports has Werinipre Seibarugu and Millionaire Abowei as chairman and co-chairman.
