A chieftain of the BOOT party, Felix Wilson, has described the plan by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, to construct a N45 billion nine-storey Secretariat Complex for civil servants as a misplaced priority.
Wilson, who was the BOOT party candidate for Sagbama Constituency 2 in the 2023 election to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, said in a press statement made available to journalists in Yenagoa on Tuesday that Diri’s action is misguided “given the chronic hardship and pervasive poverty in the state.”
Wilson pointed out that the project is not a high-impact one that would trigger the desired multiplier effect on the already struggling economy, especially as Bayelsa residents are grappling with numerous socio-economic issues such as flooding, lack of potable water, hyperinflation, high unemployment, and persistent power outages, which the Prosperity Administration has failed to address.
He said it is laughable that although the state is surrounded by water, residents cannot access clean drinking water, and called on Diri to rethink the plan and instead channel state resources into quick-impact projects that will alleviate the suffering of the masses.
He said, “The nationwide economic crisis has had a more severe effect in Bayelsa State than in any other state in Nigeria, with many families struggling to have a single meal each day as food prices soar in Yenagoa and its environs.”
“The proposed Secretariat Complex, with a 30-month completion date, is likely to become yet another white elephant project, just like the unfinished Tower Hotel, which has consumed billions of state funds with no end in sight.”
He said Bayelsans are watching the governor’s actions closely, referencing the recent recruitment of secondary school teachers, where he had promised to employ 2,000 teachers last year. About 22,000 Bayelsans applied, 7,000 were shortlisted for interviews after a written examination, but only 950 were employed.
According to him, Bayelsa should focus on areas of strong comparative economic advantage, such as glass manufacturing, deep-sea fish trawling, aquaculture, rice production, the abandoned Igbogene fish farm, the moribund Bayelsa Oil Palm, and the plastic industry.
Wilson, a businessman, said that with the right leadership and a responsive and responsible governance culture, these areas of comparative economic advantage could become “potential money spinners waiting to be harnessed and revamped.”
He slammed Diri for his handling of the state’s scarce resources, noting, “It is worrisome that in the 28 years since its creation, there has not been a single operational industry in Bayelsa State.”
“He should at least be prudent enough to leave the funds for his successor or invest them in reviving the Igbogene Fish Farm, which was started by Governor Sylva, taken over by Governor Dickson, and now requires only fencing and outsourcing to competent farm managers,” he added.
He compared the governor’s move to the alleged unprofitable actions of former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele, who was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of spending N19 billion to print N684 million worth of banknotes.
He therefore called on Governor Douye Diri to reverse the decision and abandon the proposed new secretariat project in the interest of the vast majority of Bayelsans, who stand to benefit little or nothing from this ill-timed, ill-conceived, and economically unfeasible investment.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information, Orientation, and Strategy, Mrs Ebiowou Koku-Obiyai, said the project is in response to years of requests from civil servants for a more suitable working environment.
Koku-Obiyai said that the label of misplaced priority is Wilson’s opinion, stating that other Bayelsans are supportive of the proposed project, which will be a legacy of the Prosperity Government.
She added that the project will proceed alongside other ongoing projects, including the three senatorial roads and other state government priorities, asking if people are not pleased with the Nigerian Content Tower building.
“The first, second, and third floors will have conference rooms. There will be a restaurant in the iconic building. Civil servants have longed for such a work environment,” she said.
