Bayelsa Residents Yet to Receive Fed Govt Palliatives

By Nelson Utip

The indigenes of Bayelsa State are still expecting their share of the palliatives released by The Federal Government to all states in the country, the N2b and food items is yet to get to the people according to reports. The Diri led administration is yet to give Bayelsa citizens the much needed succur to the fuel subsidy removal.

It is on record that The Federal Government had released the sum of N2billion from the N5billion loan it offered to each state as a palliative to ameliorate the effect of the petrol subsidy removal and the State government had confirmed the receipt of same from the center. The people of Bayelsa State are waiting endlessly for the modalities of sharing the items and the cash . As they groan under the biting effect of the subsidy removal, there is an allegation that the state government used the palliatives for it electioneering campaign to woo the citizenry to vote for them.

However, a source close to the government confirmed that some of the food items, particularly rice was repackaged and distributed to the electorates as part of incentives for vote-buying.

Meanwhile The Special Adviser to The Governor on Treasury Account and Revenue, Timipre Seipulou denied the allegation and said that the state government will explain it expenditure in appropriate time.

Mr. David West of The Civil Liberty Organization (CLO) however observed the deafening silence of the state government on the palliatives which surprisingly surfaced two days to the election.

“For some we see pictures of even the governor on it. They began to share some of these rice to communities through wards and the few ones I saw they were sharing was done by members of the ruling party because it was given to ward chairmen to go to their various wards and share.” David West said.