The Bayelsa Government has said that the N3 billion naira
loan for purchase of cars for state lawmakers and security agencies was a
necessity and not a misplaced priority.
The Bayelsa House of Assembly on Tuesday, in a
closed-door session, approved a N3 billion loan request from the executive arm
to purchase cars for legislators and security agencies.
The development attracted criticisms from civil servants
in the state, who said that seeking a loan to purchase the cars at a time the
state government owed workers some six months salary arrears was insensitive.
Mr Jonathan Obuebite, Commissioner for Information,
however claimed that reports that the government was taking the loan to
purchase cars for political appointees were inaccurate.
“The notion that Bayelsa government obtained N3 billion
to buy cars and distribute to political appointees is not correct. The fact is
that a component of the facility is to provide cars for the Assemblymen while
the rest will go to the security outfits.
“Actually we are not taking the loan in one fell swoop,
the N3 biliion is actually the total sum that will be taken over a three-year
span, but the executive consolidated the figures so that we won’t have to be
going back and forth to seek approval.
“So it is based on a plan to provide patrol cars for the
security services like the Police, Civil Defence, Joint Task Force, Air force
and Navy. They all need operational vehicles to deliver effective security
service to our people.
“Indeed the component for the legislators is relatively
small and it is deductible from their emoluments, ” Obuebite said
The Commissioner dismissed the views that the car loan
was a misplaced priority given the six months salary arrears owed workers in
the state.
He said although the state was indebted to civil
servants, there were plans to clear the backlog as the state has set up a
committee to work out plans to pay the arrears.
“I don’t think there is anyone we owe up to six months.
We are all witnesses to the economic downturn affecting the country, some
states are owing more than 12 months but we have informed workers of our plans
to clear all outstanding,” Obuebite said.
No comments:
Post a Comment