PDP faults Bayelsa Governor's N100bn stadium project, demands focus on jobs and food security

Bayelsa State's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has voiced strong opposition to Governor Douye Diri's plan to construct a N100 billion, 25,000-capacity stadium, urging the administration to instead focus on pressing issues such as job creation, food security, and poverty reduction.

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Abuse and political name-calling cannot reduce the price of food, create employment for our teeming youths, revive struggling businesses, or improve the purchasing power of ordinary Bayelsans. The people deserve answers, not insults.

The opposition party stated that while infrastructure development is important, government spending must prioritize projects that generate employment, support local businesses, and enhance the overall quality of life for residents. The PDP accused the state government of responding to criticism with personal attacks rather than addressing the escalating challenges of hunger, unemployment, and poverty.

"Abuse and political name-calling cannot reduce the price of food, create employment for our teeming youths, revive struggling businesses, or improve the purchasing power of ordinary Bayelsans. The people deserve answers, not insults," the PDP declared in a statement. The party emphasized that the proposed stadium project raises significant questions about the government's priorities and the prudent management of public funds.

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This is why the Governor’s disclosure that the 25,000-capacity stadium will cost over N100bn naturally raises legitimate questions about priorities and value for public funds. Bayelsans deserve to know the project’s economic justification, its long-term sustainability, its expected returns, and the number of permanent jobs and business opportunities it will create.

Furthermore, the PDP questioned the rationale behind the stadium project when the existing Samson Siasia Stadium has not been fully utilized for sports development and economic activities. They viewed the recent decision to upgrade the Samson Siasia Stadium as an implicit admission of its prior neglect. The party also pointed to deficiencies in public transportation and water supply, noting residents' reliance on commercial tricycles and the lack of a functional public water system in Yenagoa.

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The recent revelation that the Samson Siasia Stadium is now being earmarked for an upgrade after over six years of the present administration is an implicit admission that the infrastructure had been neglected despite repeated claims of unprecedented investment in sports development.