SAHARA REPORTERS/BAYELSA GOVT. QUARREL OVER BOGUS CLAIMS ON DIALYSIS MACHINE INSTALLATION By Evans Tubonah

Mr. Obuebite Jonathan

Another controversy has been generated in the Bayelsa State capital Yenagoa, by a government press statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso Markson that the govenor of the State, Mr. Henry Seriake Dickson had said that his Restoration Administration was the first to install a dialysis machine in the state to boost the health care need of the people.
Hear him:
"This is the first time we are having dialysis facilities in the state...So, you are seeing the diagnostic centre and the referral hospitals in the eight local government areas, you will agree with me that Bayelsa state is ready for quality health care delivery.."
But after going through the records, the Sahara Reporters strongly disagreed with the governor's assertio, thus coming out with an accusation that the Dickson government lied to enlarge their record of achievements.
Sagarah Reporters' position was that..." the claim is a lie because the Federal Medical Centre in the state has dialysis unit that is well equipped and also other private hospitals in the state have dialysis machines..."
The image maker to the Bayelsa State government, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite castigated the Sahara Reporters of being meddlesome in the affairs of the state and as having the habit of  fermenting trouble.
But that is not the point of interest to the people of the oil rich state that is poverty stricken under Mr. Dickson's leadership. Observers have noted amongst the states in Niger Delta Region and the South, South Geo-Political zone, Bayelsa has been the most seriously lacerated in terms of dwindling economic reports by the government, which culminated in the withholding of the salaries of  Civil Servants, of Pensioners, of Contractors, including liabilities.
The Dickson government had always been in the news claiming to have done this and that which turned out to be untrue.
Evaluating the report of Sahara Reporters and the reaction by the State government on the dialysis matter shows that majority of the populace would rather want the Dickson administrstion to pay the arreers of workers than to join issues with a media report that is not a lie.
Both Civil Servants and Pensioners, including teachers salaries and students scholarships, pilgrimage approvals etc, have all been  on the record of failed promises by the Dickson government.
Sources who spoke to this medium called on Mr. Obuebite or the State government not to quarrel the Sahara Reporters, but rather tell the electorate the truth in all circumstances.
  "The Restoration Government should come out with the truth about the cost of the dialysis project, how many millions or billions were sunk or buried in it's execution, instead of making baseless claims of being the first to build a dialysis center..." an observer had said.