The party alleged that the state resources had been mismanaged, saying the people could not enjoy the dividends of democracy.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State has questioned the Governor Douye Diri-led administration, asking it to give account of the over N100billion that the state received as its share of the withheld 13 per cent derivation fund.
The APC asserted that N3billion accrued to each of the local governments totalling N21bn under unelected council officials, adding that Governor Douye Diri’s administration had brought suffering to the people of Bayelsa State.
The party alleged that the state resources had been mismanaged, saying the people could not enjoy the dividends of democracy.
The opposition party also threatened to drag the administration before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the government’s handling of the sum of N21billion that accrued to the eight local government councils of the state from the withheld 13 per cent oil derivation refunds which the President Muhammadu Buhari released to the oil-producing states.
The revelation was made known by state APC chairman, Dennis Otiotio while speaking to newsmen in Yenagoa on Tuesday.
Dennis claimed that bad governance by the Diri administration had brought untold hardship on the people of the state despite the huge monthly revenue allocation from the Federation Account, including the 13 per cent oil derivation funds, in the past three years.
He said, “We are told that about N3 billion accrued to each of the local government areas of the state from money that was withheld from 13 per cent derivation, but we are aware that as we speak, there are no elected officials manning the local governments in the state because the governor is unable to conduct local government election.
“And since there are no elected officials at the local government councils, how did they manage this N3 billion? I hear they are sharing the money with candidates to go and do an election.
“We are going to write to the EFCC to investigate that money; the money was given to the local governments.
“They (the state government) should explain to Bayelsans how they spent the money when there are no elected officials at the local governments.
“Coming to the state, they got over N100 billion from that 13 per cent refunds from the record we have seen.
“Meanwhile, a month after they got the money, the governor went to the state Assembly with a loan request. Why are they collecting loans when they have over N100 billion from the Federal Government?
“Governor Diri needs to give us a proper account of how the money was spent and stop this shady transparency briefing they are doing because it is clear that this transparency briefing is a farce. If at the time they did the transparency briefing, they did not inform Bayelsans that Federal Government has released the withheld money, but six months after, they came out because there was a revelation.
“We can see that Governor Douye Diri’s administration has brought suffering to the people of Bayelsa State, our resources have been mismanaged, and the people cannot enjoy the dividends of democracy; the essence of governance is to create enabling environment for businesses to strive.”