Yenagoa—Chairman of the Bayelsa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Dennis Otiotio, has accused the Bayelsa state government of shrouding the award of contracts in the state in secrecy.
Otiotio made the accusation over the weekend in a radio interview on Peoples’ FM 93.1, Yenagoa monitored by mangrovepen.ng.
According to him, “all the contracts in Bayelsa state now are shrouded in secrecy. We don’t know the contractors.
“Why is it that the Igbogene–AIT road has been changed from a double carriageway to a single carriage?
“Why is it that the Isaac Boro road is not completed? Is it Julius Berger that is constructing the road or they hired Julius Berger trucks to deceive people?”
The party helmsman while alleging that the Bayelsa state International Airport is the most expensive in the world, opined that “the money expended on the Bayelsa airport is enough to build 5 airports.”
He challenged Governor Douye Diri to disclose the assets and liabilities left by former governor Seriake Dickson.
Otiotio who is also a legal practitioner equally stated that Diri received N152 billion as income from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) in 2020 with nothing to show for.
Responding to the allegations, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Governor, in a chat with our reporter, stated that, “the contracts in Bayelsa are not shrouded in secrecy.
“Anybody who is following development in the state will know that this is a very open government, he said.
“I want to recall that when the commissioner for works announced the commencement of the AIT-Igbogene road, that’s the ring road project, he said the project is 22 kilometers and that project will cost about N22 billion.
“The commissioner said that the first phase will see the completion of one lane. The government did not change it.”
Debunking claims that contractors handling projects in the state are not known, the governor’s spokesman averred that it is laughable to make such assertion.
In his words, “Unless somebody has an eye problem. If somebody doesn’t have an eye problem, you can see very well that the Isaac Boro road project is being handled by Julius Berger. It is very surprising for somebody to say he doesn’t know the contractors handling projects in Bayelsa.
“The AIT-Igbogene road is being handled by Lubrik Construction, the Gloryland Drive road is being handled by CCECC, the Yenegoa–Oporoma road is been handled by CCECC, the Sagbama–Ekeremor road is being handled by Setraco, the Igbedi road is being handled by PAACHE Construction.
“So if someday says a construction company went to hire Julius Berger vehicles that is very laughable.
“So Julius Berger will not care about its image and reputation and will go and give its vehicles and equipment to one company that has no reputation. So what if the road fails? Do you think It will not affect Julius Berger?
“People should not play politics with everything now. To me, I find it very laughable for a man of his status to talk like that.”
