A group, Save Our Unity and Nascent Democracy (SOUND), has demanded the public disclosure of the financial status of Bayelsa State from Governor Douye Diri.
According to the group it is long overdue for Governor Diri to make available the financial and audited report of the state, over a month he took over the helm of affairs of the state from his predecessor Henry Seriake Dickson.
SOUND stated that such disclosure is in line with the Transparency and Accountability law of the state signed into law by former governor Dickson.
The group in a statement by its coordinator, Prince Amiekumor Junior described as disservice failure of the former Governor Seriake Dickson that prides his Restoration led government as a transparent administration to give a transparency briefing on what his administration is leaving behind for the Governor Douye Diri led consolidation for prosperity government.
According to SOUND, the expectation was that the Dickson would have complimented his monthly transparency briefing to explain to Bayelsans how the well over 1. 7trilion naira received under his watch for 8yrs was spent and what is left in the treasury.
While commending Diri for the payments of owed workers salaries by his predecessor, the group pointed out that the controversial 2.9 billion naira car loan approved by the Bayelsa state House of Assembly for the governor coming at a moment the new government is just settling down to governance speaks volumes for the financial posture of the state.
SOUND kicked against the continued representation of the state at FAAC in Abuja by the former Commissioner of finance, Mr Maxwell Ebibai when there is an Accountant General and Permanent Secretary of the Finance Ministry.
On Covid 19, SOUND call on the Governor to walk the talk by providing palliatives to the people and call on cooperate bodies and politicians such as the former governor Seriake Dickson, Minister of State Petroleum Timipre Sylva, Mr Timi Alaibe, Chief David Lyon, Kenebi Okoko amongst other politicians to identify with the government and the people in protecting them against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said the cut-off marks for this year’s admission has not been fixed yet.
It urged Nigerians, particularly candidates, to disregard any cut-off marks being circulated by “fraudsters,” describing it as “fake.”
The board said this year’s cut – off marks would be decided at a stakeholders policy meeting that would be chaired by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu.
JAMB’s Head of Media and Information, Dr. Fabian Benjamin, said this in a statement, yesterday, amid reports that the board had adopted a cut-off mark for this year’s admission.
The spokesperson said the board has fixed the policy meeting for June 15 and 16, 2020.
He said: “Kindly disregard any cut off marks paraded by fraudsters. It is fake news.
“Cut off marks are decided at a policy meeting chaired by the Hon Minister of Education with all heads of tertiary institutions, CEOs of regulatory agencies in education and all other critical stakeholders in attendance.
“This meeting has been fixed for June 15th and 16th 2020 if all things being equal.
“Until this meeting is held nobody can talk about cut off mark. Nigerians are advised to disregard any such marks being paraded.”
Meanwhile, the board has de-listed nine computer-based test centres (CBT) used in the conduct of the year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
One of the CBT centres was de-listed for conniving with candidates to engage in malpractice during the conduct of the UTME.
The remaining eight CBT centres were de-listed for “technical deficiency” during the conduct of the examination which held on March 14 this year.

The Kebbi State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all primary and secondary schools in the state for the safety of their pupils and students.
It said that this was due to the detection of people who had contracted the coronavirus in parts of the country.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Muhammadu Magawatta- Aleiro, confirmed this development at the weekend.
He spoke shortly after an emergency meeting with the proprietors of private schools, Association of All Secondary Schools’ Principals and other stakeholders in Birnin Kebbi.
Aleiro said that the primary schools pupils in the state would not resume today.
He also said that all the students in the boarding schools would be allowed to stay in their hostels until Monday, March 23 when their schools would be closed.
”We are all aware of the pandemic of COVID-19 popularly known as coronavirus which started in China.
”For this reason, our governors had met in Abuja and agreed to close all our schools.
”For this reason, teachers association, heads of MDAs, principals’ association are here; and from today, we have closed all schools.
”Primary schools’ closure had taken effect from today while boarding schools will be closed on Monday, March 23,” he said.
He said that the schools were expected to complete their normal programmes on April 9 as they had started going through revisions of topics taught and were preparing for their examinations.
”We shall announce the time they will resume, especially, after we must have won the war against the virus.
”We are just appealing to the parents and the guardians to allow their children to be reading their books at home because anytime they resume, they will start their examinations immediately,” the commissioner said.
Our correspondent reports that the Acting Executive Secretary of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hajia Asmau Alkali attended the meeting.
Also, the leaders of the NUT, private schools and the association of principals in the state were also in attendance.