The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Maxwell Ebibai has called on Bayelsans to criticize the government constructively, rather than deliberately concocting falsehood.
He made this position while addressing the monthly Transparency briefing for the months of July and August 2021.
According to Ebibai “As citizens of Bayelsa State, we agree that it is the right of every citizen to make a constructive criticism, and where people are not cleared with certain facts, it’s appropriate that we seek clarification.
The State Government has not collected the 10billion loan for agriculture to develop the oil palm estate and the N8 bln agric loan for plantain, cassava and rice cultivation.
So, let us not go around raising issues about monies that has not been collected. Monies that has not been collected cannot be misappropriated, this can be checked with the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, if they have availed Bayelsa State of this facilities.
And let it be cleared that, the government of Senator Douye Diri, is too responsible to collect loan from CBN and not do anything with that money. This government is focused and we owe the citizens of the State to apply whatever fund we received in the most transparent manner possible.
Nothing has been received, nothing has been spent.”
In his brief remarks, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy Hon, Ayibaina Duba said that budgets are mere estimates and projections and not as the critics are made to believe, stressing that the procedure for the collection of loans are done by the State Assembly and Executive Council.
He admonished media practitioners to cross check facts before publications, noting that the government is bent at delivering the dividends of democracy to the people as promised during the campaigns.
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