Bayelsa denies shifting blame to Tinubu over state’s poverty rate

The Bayelsa State Government has vehemently denied accusations that it blamed President Bola Tinubu's administration for the state's poverty rate. Reports had suggested that an official statement attributed poverty issues to the Federal Government, a claim the state government has now labeled as false and misleading.

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The commissioner neither issued, signed nor circulated any press release responding to the opposition party’s claims.

In a statement signed by Mrs. Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai, the Commissioner for Information, Orientation and Strategy, the government clarified that no such official statement was ever issued. The government specifically refuted a report titled “Bayelsa Govt Rejects PDP’s Poverty Claims, Defends Six-Year Record,” asserting that the words attributed to the commissioner did not originate from her. The statement further dismissed a follow-up report alleging that the state government shifted responsibility for poverty to President Tinubu's administration, insisting no such position was taken.

The government challenged journalists and media organizations that published the report to present the purported statement, maintaining that they would be unable to do so because "none exists." Bayelsans, the statement argued, are familiar with Governor Douye Diri's administration's performance and can discern facts from distortions. The opposition's claim that the state government blamed the Federal Government for poverty was described as an attempt by the PDP faction to create a false narrative and seek political relevance.

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The government challenged journalists and media organisations that published the report to produce the purported statement, maintaining that they would be unable to do so because “none exists.”

Bayelsa officials emphasized that Governor Diri maintains a cordial and productive working relationship with President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government, a partnership that continues to benefit the state's residents. The government stated it would not be distracted by what it called baseless allegations and reiterated its focus on governance.

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The opposition’s allegation that the state government blamed the Federal Government for poverty only exposed what it described as the PDP faction’s attempt to create a false narrative.