The All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to the federal government to withhold a N7 billion Value Added Tax (VAT) refund to the Bayelsa State government for the sake of the people of the state.
The party, in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said the appeal became necessary because of fears that Governor Seriake Dickson might be targeting the fund to use for vote-buying during the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The statement specifically urged the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, to delay approval of a N7 billion VAT refund to the Bayelsa state government until after the conduct of the November 16 governorship election in the state.
The APC expressed the belief that should the money be released to the outgoing government in the state, it will not serve the purpose it was meant to achieve.
“There is a N7 billion VAT refund to Bayelsa State awaiting the Minister of Finance approval. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson has committed to a Commercial Bank to give him the N7 billion with an agreement that the Ministry will, in turn, pay the money to them.
“The Minister is advised not to approve the VAT refund until after the governorship election. Governor Dickson has recently been in the news on account of several schemes to raise money through diversion of state funds to fund the election of his stooge and Bayelsa governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“Coupled with the fact that Bayelsans are still smarting from the exposed plan of Governor Dickson to sell off an oil field, Atala Marginal Field (OML 46) belonging to the state, months to the his handover.
“Governor Dickson must be stopped from achieving his selfish and desperate plan to buy votes using state funds and rig the election in favour of his unpopular candidate,” the statement said.
