Misplaced spending priorities behind Bayelsa’s woes — PDP chairman

Bayelsa State PDP Chairman George Turnah has directly challenged Governor Douye Diri's administration, asserting that the state's deepening economic hardship stems from "misplaced priorities in public spending," not a lack of funds. Turnah, speaking to journalists at Port Harcourt International Airport, called for an immediate shift in government focus towards initiatives that offer tangible relief to residents.

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The greatest challenge facing Bayelsa today is not the absence of financial resources, but misplaced priorities in public spending.

Turnah proposed the recruitment of 20,000 youths into the Bayelsa Volunteer and Bayelsa Vigilante schemes, each receiving a monthly stipend of N150,000. He argued this program, estimated to cost N3 billion monthly, would simultaneously combat unemployment, insecurity, and poverty. The PDP chairman also stressed the importance of addressing pension and gratuity arrears, restoring student bursaries, subsidizing healthcare, and improving transportation through a fleet of mass transit buses.

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A government genuinely committed to improving the living conditions of its people would prioritise programmes that directly tackle hunger, unemployment and poverty while providing relief to families struggling with rising living costs.

"A government genuinely committed to improving the living conditions of its people would prioritise programmes that directly tackle hunger, unemployment and poverty while providing relief to families struggling with rising living costs," Turnah stated. He dismissed the notion that the 2027 governorship election was predetermined, asserting that the electorate would prioritize welfare, job creation, and support for citizens over political pronouncements. Turnah also revealed that opposition parties are nearing the completion of consultations for an "opposition coalition" aimed at offering a "credible and people-focused political alternative."

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an opposition coalition will soon be inaugurated in Bayelsa State with the objective of providing a credible and people-focused political alternative.