The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bayelsa State, has doubled down on its criticism of the ₦100 billion stadium project under construction by the All Progressive Congress (APC)- led government at Igbogene, Yenagoa Local Government Area.
The publicity secretary of the party, Hon Ikaebimo Mark, in a statement reacting to the name-calling by the leadership of the APC over its criticism of the stadium project, insisted that Bayelsans deserve infrastructure projects that create jobs, stimulate local enterprise and drive inclusive economic growth.
Mark further, while noting that the Senator Douye Diri government is evading providing answers to the high rate of hunger, poverty, and unemployment in the state, asserted that the 25,000-capacity stadium raises serious questions about priorities, local economic benefits, and value for public funds.
Mark, while stating that name-calling and abuse by the APC leadership cannot reduce the price of food, create employment for our teeming youths, revive struggling businesses, or improve the purchasing power of ordinary Bayelsans, demands answers to the rising level of unemployment and households finding it difficult to feed, despite unprecedented increased revenues.
‘’The PDP has never opposed infrastructure development. We recognise that roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, and sporting facilities are necessary for development. However, infrastructure development is most meaningful when it creates opportunities, improves living standards, and enhances the quality of life of the people. Infrastructure must catalyse economic growth, industrial expansion, private investment, job creation, and improved household incomes,’’ he added.
The opposition party maintained that the ₦100 billion cost for the stadium project raises legitimate questions about priorities and value for public funds.
‘’Bayelsans deserve to know the project’s economic justification, its long-term sustainability, its expected returns, and the number of permanent jobs and business opportunities it will create beyond the hosting of occasional sporting events.
‘’Government should also assure Bayelsans that major public projects are deliberately structured to maximise local participation by engaging qualified Bayelsa professionals, contractors, artisans, suppliers, and businesses. Public investment should stimulate the local economy, strengthen indigenous capacity, and ensure that the benefits of government spending circulate within the state’s economy,’’ he stated.
Mark also dismissed the claims that sports remain the government’s preferred vehicle for youth empowerment, stressing that plans to upgrade Samson Siasia Stadium due to deliberate neglect have vindicated the PDP government must move beyond rhetoric and embark on timely, strategic investments that genuinely promote sports development, create employment opportunities, and deliver measurable economic benefits to the people of Bayelsa State.
‘’Beyond sports, Bayelsans deserve a broader economic vision. They deserve industries that create jobs, policies that attract local and foreign investment, support for agriculture and small businesses, functional skills development programmes, affordable access to finance, and a deliberate strategy for wealth creation. These are the foundations upon which genuine prosperity is built. The transportation sector has completely collapsed, with the fate of Bayelsans left in the hands of unregulated keke riders who milk the hell out of citizens, particularly residents of Yenagoa, Bayelsa’s Capital City. The lack of access to clean and healthy water makes Yenagoa the only capital city in the country where residents rely solely on meruwa for water supply, a very embarrassing situation. A State whose economy is solely dependent on monthly federal allocations cannot reasonably justify spending a whopping 100 billion naira on a stadium, simply because we want to host the National Sports Festival. That is a misplaced priority,’’ the statement reads.
The opposition party further asserted that infrastructure is most impactful when it is deliberately conceived as a driver of economic growth rather than an end in itself, adding that across the country, truly transformative infrastructure is increasingly being designed to stimulate commerce, attract private investment, create sustainable jobs, expand local enterprise, and improve the daily lives of citizens.
‘’ Bayelsa deserves the same vision. Beyond constructing impressive physical structures, the government must ensure that every major capital project delivers measurable economic returns, strengthens the local economy, empowers indigenous businesses, and creates lasting opportunities for the people. Development is meaningful only when citizens can genuinely feel its impact in their homes, businesses, and livelihoods.
‘’The PDP therefore renews its call on the Douye Diri administration to immediately declare a comprehensive Economic Recovery, Wealth Creation and Food Security Initiative with clearly defined targets for employment generation, investment attraction, industrialisation, entrepreneurship development and poverty reduction.
‘’As a responsible opposition party, we remain committed to constructive engagement. We will continue to support every sincere policy capable of improving the welfare of Bayelsans while holding the government accountable where necessary. Accountability is not hostility; it is an essential pillar of democracy and good governance.
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