By Victor Graham
The Bayelsa State Government has denied allegations of financial wrongdoing in a purported N3 billion Agricultural loan given to it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
A former General Manager of the Bayelsa State Radio Corporation (Radio Bayelsa), Dr. John Idumange had in a Facebook post, accused the administration of Governor Douye Diri of squandering N3 billion Agric loan.
Idumange had in the post said the N3 billion is one of the many financial misappropriation the government has made since it took over the state on February 14, 2020.
He said sometime in 2019, the immediate past administration applied to the Central Bank of Nigeria for a N3 billion Agricultural loan and the Governor Douye Diri administration received the loan.
He added that the first tranche of N1.5 billion was paid in March, 2020 to the Prosperity administration and the money was squandered while the last tranche of the loan N1. 5 billion was paid in February, 2021 via Access Bank Plc.
But in a reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, denied the allegation, describing Idumange as a pathetic liar that deserves pity.
He said the Agric loan issue was a false claim by Idumange and challenged him to go to court as he had threatened to do, saying the government is ready to meet him there.
On his part, the Director of New Media to the governor, Mr. Kola Oredipe said on his Facebook page: “Idumange has become a purveyor of fake news just to malign the person of the Governor, Senator Douye Diri. Too cheap! John Idumange at it again spreading fake news about the CBN Agric loan to farmers. We challenge him to go to EFCC”.
