Elizabeth Vincent, Yenagoa
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State has criticized the state government’s proposed ₦100 billion stadium project at Igbogene in Yenagoa Local Government Area, describing it as a misplaced priority amid worsening economic hardship confronting residents.
In a statement issued by the party’s publicity secretary, Ikaebimo Mark, the PDP expressed concern that the state government was committing enormous public funds to a stadium while many citizens continue to grapple with hunger, unemployment, poverty, inadequate healthcare, poor educational outcomes, and a struggling economy.
The opposition party acknowledged the importance of sports and the role of sporting infrastructure in modern development but argued that such investments should not take precedence over pressing socio-economic challenges facing the people.
According to the statement, thousands of graduates remain unemployed, many households cannot afford a decent meal and several communities still lack access to clean drinking water, making the proposed stadium project difficult to justify.
The PDP further accused the government of neglecting critical sectors such as agriculture and small-scale enterprises, noting that inadequate investment in these areas has contributed to declining livelihoods and worsening economic conditions across the state.
The party also dismissed Governor Douye Diri’s reported justification that the stadium would serve as a vehicle for youth empowerment, insisting that genuine empowerment should focus on creating sustainable jobs, supporting entrepreneurship, attracting investments, and expanding economic opportunities.
“The greatest infrastructure any government can build is the economic well-being of its people the statement said youth empowerment is not measured by the size of a stadium but by the number of young people gainfully employed, the number of thriving small businesses created, skilled entrepreneurs, investments attracted, and opportunities available for youths to build productive and prosperous lives.”
The PDP questioned why the existing Samson Siasia Stadium, which has served the state for years, has not been fully developed into a centre for talent discovery, sports tourism grassroots sports development, and sports-based enterprise if sports truly remain the administration’s strategy for youth empowerment.
It challenged the Diri administration to publish the number of youths allegedly empowered through sports over the past six years, alongside details of programmes implemented through the Samson Siasia Stadium.
The opposition party also demanded full disclosure of the proposed stadium project, including its procurement process, contract value, funding arrangements, implementation timeline, project scope, and projected economic benefits.
According to the PDP, Bayelsans deserve complete transparency regarding a project involving such substantial public expenditure.
The party further argued that the state would derive greater economic value from investments in industrial parks, agro-processing centres, technology hubs, vocational training institutes, manufacturing clusters, and investment corridors capable of generating sustainable employment and wealth.
It therefore urged the Bayelsa State government to prioritise economic recovery by launching a comprehensive programme focused on wealth creation, employment generation, food security, agriculture, skills development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and private-sector growth to address the increasing hardship facing residents.
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