EXPOSED: Group set to Drag Fraudulent Bayelsa Govt Officials to EFCC, Lament over-invoicing of Igbogene-AIT Road, Tombia Roundabout Jobs …Mention BIG names

…As Gov. Diri, Ex-Gov. Dickson Aides trade words over N3b CBN Agric loan

OPERATION RESCUE BAYELSA: ON THE FRAUD AT IGBOGENE-AIT ROAD AND THE TOMBIA ROUNDABOUT SANDFILLING CONTRACT FRAUD

A Community based organization in Bayelsa State – code named “Operation Rescue Bayelsa” has claimed that Bayelsa State is now being run like a mafia paradise reminiscent of the days of Alfonse Al-Capone in Chicago.

The spokesman of the group Mr. Tonte Wariowei expressed his worry about the executive wrecklessness and fraud in Bayelsa State since 2010 till date.

He dropped the hint that Bayelsans were expecting that the Tombia Round About would warehouse a state-of-the-art flyover as earlier planned by the immediate past administration.

He bemoaned the humongous amount of money allocated to the sandfilling work, which was directly awarded to the office of the Deputy Governor of the State against the public procurement Act. The said sandfilling contract was awarded at a mouth watering sum of State at the cost of Five Hundred Million N500, 000.000.) Naira only.

A sandfilling expert Engr. Samuel Yemoah who works for a construction company in Warri said the job could have been done at the cost of Thirty million naira ( N30million). He lamented the over-invoicing of the job and explains why Bayelsa State is not developing as fast as other States created along with it.

The sand filling contract was said to have been re-awarded to another contractor at the sum of fifty million N50, 000,000.) naira only. By this token, the office of the Deputy Governor made a cool cash of Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira ( N450,000, 00) as profit without working.

“Operation Rescue Bayelsa” had on Thursday 4th of March brought in Human Rights Groups including Amnesty International to look at some contracts with the same problem of over-invoicing in Kaiama, Yenagoa and other areas in the State.

“The Group disclosed that the Commissioner for Works in the immediate past administration collected money twice for two bridges along the Igbogene -AIT road”

“The monies collected included: N1. 8 billion Naira and N1.2 billion respectively. After collecting a whopping N3billion, the so called bridges were not constructed until the end of the Administration. In the eyes of the anti-trade agencies, this action is money laundry”

NAIJA LIVE TV gathered that the rights groups have since collected relevant documents including Pictorial evidence of abandoned projects and left for Port Harcourt where they are expected to submit their reports to the EFCC office on the 5th of March, 2021.

“Operation Rescue Bayelsa calls this action fraudulent and has called on the EFCC for a thorough investigation and possible prosecution of the people responsible.”

“Operation Rescue Bayelsa promised that any matter related to financial crimes committed in the past 12 years will be well documented and investigated by the EFCC, Mr. Vaghoun Kaloum of the Amnesty International added.”

MEANWHILE, An Aides to Governor Douye Diri and his predecessor, Former Governor Seriake Dickson yesterday trade words over the allege mismanagement and diversion of N3billion Agricultural loan extended to the State by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

While Dr. John Idumange, a Former Aide to Former Governor Seriake Dickson on Social Media and General Manager, Bayelsa Broadcasting Corporation, accused the present administration of allege diversion of N3billion Agricultural loan extended to the state by the Central Bank.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief David Alagoa, dismissed the claim of allege diversion, saying the loan is being directly supervised and disbursed by CBN through a commercial bank in partnership and not by the Bayelsa State Government.

Alagoa, while dismissing the claim insisted that the loan is being diverted by the Bayelsa State Government stating that the loan is being directly supervised and disbursed by CBN through a commercial bank in partnership and not by the Bayelsa State Government.

He confirmed that all the benefitting farmers have been allocated lands and have received the sum of N50, 000.00 for land preparation for planting. According to him, “some of the farmers including fish farmers have received inputs through the system for their ponds. Seven thousand bags of fertilizers, cassava stems and other inputs are in various communities from the second tranche of the loan.”

“This loan disbursement is through the banks to individual accounts of the farmers. CBN took this approach probably because of previous experience across the country. The disbursement here in Bayelsa is so transparent. Idumange, does not have any information about the loan. He should have asked questions. He can simply go to the Yenagoa branch of the CBN if he needs information and not to spread fake news”, Alagoa stated.

Dr. John Idumange, who made the claim on Tuesday ,had come under serious criticism from supporters and loyalists of Governor Douye Diri over his fierce criticism of present administration, alleged that “Sometime in 2019, the immediate past administration applied to the Central Bank of Nigeria for a N3 billion Agricultural loan. The Governor Douye Diri administration received the loan. The first tranche of N1.5 billion was paid in March, 2020 to the Prosperity administration. The money was squandered”.

“The last tranche of the loan N1. 5 billion has been paid in February, 2021 via Access Bank Plc. A paltry sum of money is what the administration is using to clear some hectares of land. I am sure the Commissioner of Agriculture was not aware. Plans have been concluded by the Government to give fifty thousand Naira (N50, 000) to selected farmers in Bayelsa State. It is too early for the Prosperity administration to defraud Bayelsans then shift the blame to the immediate past administration”

“The N3billion is a loan that will be paid back by the Bayelsa State Government yet it was squandered. The genuine farmers are optimistic that money will come their way to do farm work, but you can see how Bayelsans are being treated”

“For those who know, I am a private investigator and I have taken the liberty to form an alliance with the new EFCC Chairman”

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