The ranking of Bayelsa as the second poorest state after Sokoto State in the multidimensional poverty index has been described as alarming and disastrous by the Labour Party Governorship Candidate, Engr Udengs Eradiri.
Eradiri, who spoke in Yenagoa on Thursday, said Bayelsa’s poor rankings in all economic and developmental indices remained an eloquent testimony that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state Governor, Douye Diri, had failed the state.
He said the PDP and Diri had nothing to campaign with noting that he could not wrap his head around the stinking poverty in the state despite the small population of Bayelsa and huge revenue allocations from various sources.
The LP candidate, attributed the woes of Bayelsa to many years of incompetence, avarice, profligacy and anti-people policies of the PDP insisting that the current administration had no idea of how to tackle the issues.
He said: “Why is Governor Douye Diri and the PDP still campaigning for a second term? Data technology company, StatiSense, recently unveiled the Multidimensional poverty index of 2022 report of the National Bureau of Statistic.
“That report exposed the number of people living in multidimensional poverty in the oil-rich Niger Delta states. That report is alarming, distressing and goes to show the failure of the PDP leadership of Bayelsa since 1999.
“It shows that the PDP leadership and the current government of Douye Diri diverted and squandered all our commonwealth.
“Bayelsa has the red flag in all developmental indices. It will shock you to know that 2.61 million people out of the 2.9 million people are languishing in abject poverty. This is to say that 88 per cent of our population are extremely poor despite the humongous resources and revenue coming into this state.
“While Sokoto, a desert, occupies the first position, Bayelsa, an oil-rich state is coming second. What other proof do we need to know that the PDP has remained the whirlwind that will not blow this state and our people any good?
“What other evidence do we need as a people to know that this forthcoming election affords us the people, an opportunity to kick out Diri and his party. They mean no good for our state and should be given a red card”.
Eradiri also said that Bayelsa ranked as the third state with the worst unemployment rate in the country was proof that Diri and his party had no business seeking any reelection.
He called on the people to massively vote for the credible alternative offered by the LP saying that with his People, Education, Agriculture, Power (PEAP) agenda he would give the state a solid fresh beginning.