Bayelsa Governor budgets ₦700 million for 50 torchlights and 100 walkie-talkies

Tracka, BudglT Foundation’s service delivery promotion platform, has revealed that Bayelsa State Government under the leadership of Douye Diri earmarked the sum of N700 million to purchase 50 torches and 100 walkie-talkies for personnel of local vigilante group known as Bayelsa Community Safety Crops.

This was stated in a post shared on Friday afternoon by the platform, which described the state 2024 Appropriation Act as having disregard for the current hardship being faced by residents.

Tracka wrote: “There’s no better way to explain the 2024 Bayelsa state budget than other than sheer wickedness.

“You allocated N700 million to the purchase of ’50 torchlights and 100 ‘Walking Talking’ for Bayelsa Community Safety Corps’

“Even if we forgive the wrong spelling of walkie-talkie, how can you justify allocating 700 million naira to purchase torchlights!!!

“Mr Governor, you allocated 4.6 billion naira to purchase 20 Hilux and SUVs and another 1.2 billion naira for government printing machines

“How does this increase the standard of living of the common man in Bayelsa?? Citizens and Residents of Bayelsa state, get up and #AskQuestions!”

The Bayelsa Coalition for Accountability and Good Governance, a civil society organisation, in August, condemned the state government for approving a N25 billion expenditure for a new aircraft.

The group labelled the decision as an act of financial recklessness and a blatant case of fraud, given the state’s mounting debt profile.

The coalition criticised Governor Douye Diri and his administration for prioritising the purchase of an aircraft at a time when the state is grappling with financial challenges.

According to the organisation, the move is not only ill-timed but also indicative of the government’s disregard for the financial well-being of the state’s residents.

In a statement, Mr Perekeme Oweifa, the spokesman for the coalition, disclosed that the sum of N11 billion had already been spent by the governor for the same purpose, with no visible results.

Oweifa accused the Diri administration of financial recklessness, adding that between 2021 and 2023, the governor received N147 billion in derivation arrears paid to oil-producing states.