The acting Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa state governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, speaks on his boss’ modest achievement within his first 100 days in office. Joy Emmanuel monitored his radio interview.
Senator Douye Diri administration was welcomed by a lingering COVID 19 pandemic. What should Bayelsans expect as he clocks 100 days in office?
Governor Douye Diri administration came in at a time COVID-19 was beginning to take its toll on our nation and it virtually affected every of our development projections. For me, this is just a temporary setback as I expect that this administration would make a remarkable difference in the lives of Bayelsans and in the development of the state.
But, if you want to measure what the government has done within 100 days in office, you cannot but talk about the current situation which is the devastation and distortion caused by COVID-19 on our state and the nation economically and socio-culturally.
This pandemic has virtually slowed down everything. For instance, the government planned to restart the ring road project connecting Igbogene to Elebele/Bayelsa Palm axis. But, as you know, at the moment there is hardly anywhere in Nigeria that contractors are on site due to the several lockdown and restrictions imposed by the federal and state governments in a bid to arrest the spread of the coronavirus.
You recall that one of the first things the governor did on assumption of office was to visit the Etegwe/Edepie roundabout where vehicular movement had been problematic. He promised to restart the ring road project in order to ease the traffic at that roundabout where a flyover had been planned even from the previous administration. That project is yet to take off. But I am sure that after we go past this phase, there definitely would be more physical projects for all to see.
The government has shared out food items as palliatives twice to Bayelsans, non-indigenes resident in the state, the physically challenged and visually impaired as well as corps members serving in the state among others. The process was largely handled by the local government chairmen, who were responsible for distribution of the items. For as long as COVID-19 remains and the need arises, the government would make the necessary interventions to assuage the pains of the people.
Barely a month after the administration took off there was the controversy over the state assembly’s approval of N2.9billion loan to the governor to purchase cars for officials in his government. How was it possible for the governor who could not raise money for the flyover at Etegwe and construction of the ring road secure loans to buy vehicles?
The fact that somebody or government took a loan does not mean it does not have money. If you understand the way good business organisations run, loans are taken as alternative sources of revenue often to address some urgent needs.
There was insinuation was that the previous government left no money in the treasury. Did this administration meet an empty treasury?
It is common in Nigeria for political reasons for people to accuse one administration of leaving an empty treasury. But, realistically, is it possible for a government to have an empty treasury when in actual fact government is a going concern? A new government assumes all the assets and liabilities of the previous one, including the revenue generating agencies that daily receive the income accruing to the state. So it is actually hollow talk when people say a government left an empty treasury. It is more within the realm of political talk than the reality on ground.
So, are you saying the governor borrowed money to buy cars when the state had money?
If he had to take a loan, why not? Revenue projections are made based on both statutory sources of income as well as alternative sources. Taking a loan is not a sin. It is standard practice globally by government and organisations, big or small. Loans are meant to meet pressing needs without having to deplete your statutory source of income.
For instance, America is one of the richest countries in the world today but it is also one of the most indebted, if not the biggest debtor. The richest man in Africa, who is a Nigerian, still takes loans to run his businesses. Big corporations are run like that. They still go for loans and there is really nothing wrong in taking a loan even when you have money in your account.
Is it not better to go for a facility with less stressful repayment terms spread over a long period of time than use money already in your account to purchase cars when such amount could be deployed into ongoing projects? I think it is good business sense to free the funds already in the kitty for key projects rather than use them to purchase cars, which could be got through an alternative source of funding. The repayment terms of that loan is spread over 36 months, which makes it less stressful for the government to pay back. It is actually less than N100m repayment monthly.
So, it was an option that was open to the governor. It was an alternative. Personally and as a government, I really do not see anything wrong with that.
If you are justifying the fact that the government decided to take a loan barely two months in office, how much money was left behind by your former principal, Henry Seriake Dickson?
Besides, how justifiable is it that the government spends over N20 million as salary of political appointees when it is only four or five appointments the governor has made so far?
The amount left by the previous administration you will get very soon. I don’t like speculating. I do not get involved with something I know nothing about. I don’t have the figures as we speak and I am avoiding the temptation to speculate.
Talking about the salary of the few appointees, it is not correct that only about four or five appointees receive N20million monthly. Apart from the new appointees like me, there are also others whose tenure did not end with the last administration and have to be paid statutorily as appointees. The governor has equally appointed other persons apart from maybe the four or five that you possibly know. So, to answer your question, the governor has appointed some others, which include those in the office of the deputy governor. So, all of that accounts for that figure. At some point, all of the appointees will be made public. Let nobody entertain any fear.
Also, note that the state is not financially handicapped because the governor we have is somebody who understands what prudence in governance means. He is not frivolous with money and will never spend money on frivolity. Bayelsa is in very safe hands. But it is good for the people to raise issues like this. It is good they speak their mind and speak out their fears. All we need to do in government is to assure them and let them know that there is no reason to be afraid. We take the criticisms not with a pinch of salt but with an open mind. There is no government that will do well if the people are not allowed to raise issues.
The governor said he would run a leaner cabinet than that of the previous government. People have said that his early appointments are those that served in the last administration, and therefore that he is not really in charge but still under the influence of the former governor?
Well, it is a matter of opinion. But if you look at the appointments that have been made public so far, apart from the Deputy Chief of Staff and I that were in the previous government, the others are not. The Chief of Staff was not in the past government. The SSG was a member of the House of Assembly where he was Speaker. The Principal Secretary was not in the previous government. So, where is that tag coming from? What is also wrong appointing persons that had worked with the previous government when they are capable and have the competency?
Let me say emphatically that there is no truth in the insinuation that the incumbent governor is not in control when it comes to governance and policy implementation. There is only one governor in Bayelsa and he is fully in charge of affairs of the state.
The governor promised to announce his cabinet in three months after swearing in and it is three months already. Are we having commissioners and Special Advisers any time soon?
In every state we have only one governor that appoints people into offices. So it is his prerogative to pick his appointees, whether commissioner or adviser, when the time is right for him to do so. I’m sure when he is ready, he would tell us his new appointees. I can assure you that he will make it public sooner than later.
But the former speaker, who is now the SSG, worked closely with the previous Restoration Government?
It depends on how you are looking at it. The legislature is an independent arm of government. The restoration government you are talking about was an executive arm of government while the former speaker was in charge of the legislative arm of government. He was not in the executive. But there was a robust relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government in the last dispensation. That is something we expect to continue under this government.
