Nigeria, Aug. 28, 2016 – A social-political organisation, Bayelsa Transparency Monitors (BTM) has threatened to drag the Federal Government to court if the incessant deductions from Bayelsa State monthly allocation continues unchecked.
The organisation wants Federal Accounts Allocation Committee(FAAC) to stop the deductions until the state allocation improves. The Director-General of BTM, Mr. Ephraim Dorgu, issued the threat in an interview with journalists at the just-concluded economic forum held in Yenagoa.
According to him, the unsubstantiated deduction by FAAC “has slowed down the level of service delivery in the state as most projects are yet to be completed while the government struggles to pay salaries of civil servants.”
Dorgu said after a careful independent investigation by BTM, it was discovered that the funds being deducted seems to be deliberate as it has continued to linger since the inception of the current administration.
“We are perplexed at the outrageous deductions by FAAC. I mean when you look at it you will discover that they are meaningless and when you see the deductions, you will realise the government is not aware of it”, he stressed.
Dorgu called on the state government to “seek redress in court concerning the issue and also to find out among other things those who are benefiting from it.”
“If the Bayelsa State government refuses to go to court on the matter, BTM will do so on our own accord because we strongly believe from every obvious reasons that FAAC is doing so deliberately.
“This whole thing is unfair. We have listened to government officials during the monthly transparency briefing lament on the issue, we have followed it up and, for us as a group, it is time for justice. If the government is not willing to go to court, we will go to court for the sake of the state.”
Dorgu believes that if the trend continues, the present administration may not achieve set targets, adding that even if the deduction is a justified one which is in doubt, the timing is wrong.
