The Bayelsa State Govenrment and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are in a war of words over the Bayelsa International Cargo Airport.
The APC in Bayelsa says the ‘astronomical’ rise in cost of the airport from N40 billion to N80 billion was worrisome and indicates diversion of public funds
The APC, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Doifie Buokoribo said last Monday that the reaction of the Bayelsa State Government to its allegations of using the project as a vehicle to divert public funds was a failed attempt to divert attention from obvious lack of fiscal discipline and prudence.
APC had criticised the Bayelsa State Government for borrowing from the money market at the current exorbitant interest rate, describing it as  a ploy to siphon public funds.
It said the huge interest on N62 billion paid on the N80 billion loan would stifle the state by monthly repayment obligations in the next eight years, adding that the project lacked vital intermodal network for easy accessibility.
APC alleged that the N80 billion project was executed at inflated costs, making it “clearly the most expensive airport project in Nigeria.”
But the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Information, Iworiso-Markson said the past administration in the state failed to give the people a desperately needed international airport between 2007 and 2011.
Iworiso-Markson said that theGovernor Timipriye Sylva led administration failed to attempt to build an airport in spite of the huge resources at the disposal of his administration.
According to him, the past administration used what should have been a laudable idea of an airport project to milk the state and siphoned billions of naira into private pockets.
The commissioner challenged the APC to tell Bayelsa people and Nigerians what the former governor did with N300 billion agricultural loan the state took from the World Bank.
According to him, the past administration fritted away N3 billion Millennium Development Goal (MDG) funds made available to the state and foisted a bond obligation of N125 billion on the state.
Reacting however, the APC said that by the diversionary response, the Dickson government had only confirmed the allegation adding that, “Governor Dickson is guilty as charged.”
Buokoribo noted that the Bayelsa State government’s response was silent on the economic viability of funding such a capital intensive project from the money market at huge interest rates.
“Bayelsa State Government’s reaction to our statement of  November 15, 2018, on the Bayelsa Airport scam is that it did not address any of the issues we raised. This is unfortunate but understandable.