Lifestyle Of Deceit Won’t Give You Electoral Victory, Eradiri Told

Candidate of the Labour Party for the Bayelsa State gubernatorial  election, Udengs Eradiri has got some serious knocks for his alleged statements of deceit against the governor’s handling of some projects in the state.

The governor’s chief press secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah said in a statement on Friday that Eradiri was in the habit of telling lies about funding and execution of projects, as if that was his surest way of winning the people’s votes.

Alabrah was reacting to Eradiri’s claim that the state governor, Senator Douye Diri  spent N30billion to asphalt only a 10.2km road.The LP governorship candidate was quoted in a report as querying “how the road project, which former Governor Seriake Dickson almost completed, could cost N30 billion.

Eradiri had also said in a recent media report, that while a former and current candidate of the APC for the election, Chief Timipre Sylva completed the clearing component of the project, his successor, Senator Seriake Dickson carried out the sand-filling aspect, while Diri was expected to asphalt the road.

In reacting to the claims, Alabrah said Eradiri deliberately twisted the facts and urged the public to disregard his comments.  He said the “Diri administration re-commenced the second phase of the 10.2km Glory Drive project in 2021 more than 10 years after it was started by the Chief Timipre Sylva administration.

“The Sylva administration paid the ‘contractor’ the sum of N9bn for a project that was less than 5% done. So, his successor, Senator Seriake Dickson, queried the amount paid, which his predecessor claimed was for 50% of the job done. The disagreement resulted in a litigation by the contractor that eventually stalled the project throughout the eight-year duration of the Dickson administration.

“For emphasis, the legal action prevented the Dickson government from touching the project. So, it is actually ridiculous that Eradiri, who was a Commissioner and member of the state executive council in that administration, could concoct such a blatant lie.

“By the time the Diri administration assumed office in 2020, the 10.2km stretch of the project had become a huge forest. The administration had to start afresh with clearing, excavation of the soil, sand-filling, asphalt-laying and installation of solar-powered lights on the dual carriageway.

It is therefore pathetic for Eradiri to engage in revisionism just to score cheap political points. It is also clear that the LP candidate lacks understanding of what it takes to govern Bayelsa. Often, he displays crass ignorance on issues bordering on development of the state.

“If Eradiri thinks spewing falsehood would bolster his chances in the Bayelsa governorship race, he needs to be reminded that the Bayelsa electorate does not reckon with him due to his unenviable record from his days as Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) president.

“Given Governor Diri’s prudent management of the state’s resources coupled with his visible developmental impact, no amount of lies, misinformation and calumnious campaign against him can sway people of the state from re-electing their performing governor.”