The economy of oil-rich Bayelsa State has collapsed, according to an award-winning journalist who just visited the state.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Olola Seun Akioye, who is based in Lagos, where he works for The Nation, painted the picture of a state which is at the verge of collapse following the apparent mismanagement of the windfall that came its way during the six-year reign of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as Nigeria’s President, which was cut short on May 29, 2015 following his loss of the March 28, 2015 presidential election to retired General Muhammdu Buhari of the then-opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Bayelsa remains under the governorship of Hon. Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who was recently sworn-in for a second four-year term after effectively fighting off the fierce challenge from his predecessor, Chief Timipre Sylva of APC.

Here is Mr. Akioye’s eyewitness account of the prevailing economic situation in Bayelsa, one of the leading oil-producing states in the country, by virtue of which it gets a bigger share of the country’s revenue than less blessed states: “Bayelsa is in trouble. The economy has fallen down. No sales and prices have crashed. Hotels are worst hit in Yenagoa, they beg you to stay, rooms that sold for N40k, pretty receptionists beg you to take it for N8k. They took my bag inside already. The voice of my hometown of ijebu said price it further to. N5k. Am not joking. In Atemer pepersoup joint on INEC road, am the lone diner. Everyone looked at me in amazement. We price everything and they beg you to take it. One man said his laundry business has not made 1k for a week. Car parks filled with cars, no money. Abuja park is deserted “nobody goes to Abuja since Goodluck lost election,” a man said. Clubs are deserted, even prostitutes (reputed for wearing only underwears) on hospital road are crying. Even thrift collectors are hit as civil servants (main stay of economy) have not been paid. A man told me: “We lost Abuja and then oil prices went down, our politicians mismanaged what was left, that’s why we are suffering.”

rusher14:
We told them.

Invest the wealth in human capital.

Enrich the minds of our people.

Manage the youth, create factories (certainly not hotels), improve the general well being of the people.

Enact laws that make local power production easily achievable.

We had the power and might. The finance and connections. Yet, we mismanaged everything.

We encouraged militancy, we distributed guns and munitions. Reacted angrily to opposing views.

Now we live in penury... Once again.

Ok we'll revert to militancy once again. Burst pipelines, kidnap foreigners and locals alike.

The ultimate loss would still be ours.

Sustainable development appears alien to us.

We despoil our land and waterways.

Simply Irritating and repugnant.

I weep for my People.

GudluckIBB:
Bayelsa that is not even as big as Yaba local govt area is supposed to be the most developed state in Nigeria given its size, small population and oil derivation they collect.

If jonathan has taken money illegally from CBN and use it to develop bayelsa to be like dubai, Nigerians would have pardoned him. But he was a vice president, acting president and president, yet his people don't have drinking water and passable road.

And he's busy telling the world that part of his achievement was that he meet dangote as the rishest man in Nigeria and when he got into power, dangote became the rishest man in Africa. Is that an aChievememt?


I was expecting him to list his major achievement as uprgrading his state to a world class city like dubai and china.




Even an helipad, he didn't build in his town, meanwhile, the man they call "dullard" has built an helipad in daura in his first 3 months in office.

Jonathan is a shame.

Nonsense!

asha80:
are you from bayelsa?

rusher14:


I am Ijaw / Itshekiri.

Bayelsa is for the entire Ijaw nation.

It is representative of our contiguous homeland.

GudluckIBB:
Bayelsa that is not even as big as Yaba local govt area is supposed to be the most developed state in Nigeria given its size, small population and oil derivation they collect.

If jonathan has taken money illegally from CBN and use it to develop bayelsa to be like dubai, Nigerians would have pardoned him. But he was a vice president, acting president and president, yet his people don't have drinking water and passable road.

And he's busy telling the world that part of his achievement was that he meet dangote as the rishest man in Nigeria and when he got into power, dangote became the rishest man in Africa. Is that an aChievememt?


I was expecting him to list his major achievement as uprgrading his state to a world class city like dubai and china.




Even an helipad, he didn't build in his town, meanwhile, the man they call "dullard" has built an helipad in daura in his first 3 months in office.

Jonathan is a shame.

Nonsense!

buharisbae:
nd the twitter senator?