The Prosperity Administration of Governor Douye Diri has disclosed that its administration did creditably well in implementing the 2024 budget, revealing that it had not carried over any budget right from its inception in 2020.

This was as it said it will continue to prioritise effective implementation of its budgets as part of efforts to promote good governance, especially in terms of infrastructural and human capacity development.

Speaking on Monday in Yenagoa while declaring open a critical stakeholders’ public interactive session for the preparation of the state’s 2026 Annual Budget, Governor Douye Diri, represented by his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, stated that a budget session like this was important for planning and development.

A statement by Mr Doubara Atasi, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor, described budget planning as key to the development of any state and corporate organisation.

The Bayelsa Chief Executive urged the participants to make useful inputs into the 2026 budget to engender good governance and prosperity in the state.

Governor Diri, who thanked the people for their support, reassured them that his administration is determined to leave Bayelsa better than it met it in terms of development

He highlighted some completed and ongoing people-oriented projects budgeted for in the 2024 Appropriation Law to include the Sagbama-Ekeremor road, the new Commissioners and Lawmakers’ residential quarters, and Yenagoa-Oporoma Road with spurs to Otuan and Oporoma towns in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

Others include the roads within the New Yenagoa City, the 2nd Phase of Glory Drive, the Nembe-Brass Road, the Angiama-Enewari Road, and the Light-Up Bayelsa project, for which the state had already taken delivery of a 60 Megawatt turbine to provide electricity by December this year.

“A budget session like this is important for planning and development. The good thing about our state is that we do not carry over our budgets, and that is a big applause for the Governor and the economic team.

“The Prosperity Administration knows where it wants to take the people of the state. Our Turbine, which was appropriated for in the last budget, is here, and we want to thank the Governor.

“We want to leave Bayelsa better than we met it: that is the essence of leadership. So, I really want to encourage us to continue to pray for the Governor and the state in general. We may not be where we want to be, but we have made progress.

“The essence of today’s gathering is to make input. So feel free to make your input, which we believe will help us make progress.

Earlier, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Flint George, stated that the stakeholders’ interactive session would culminate in a citizens’ budget which will capture the aspirations of the people..

He remarked that some of the requests made last year were included in the 2025 budget, which is doing well, stressing that the interactive session was an avenue to get feedback from the citizens and make governance all-inclusive.

Mr George expressed gratitude to Governor Diri and his deputy, Senator Ewhrudjakpo, for supporting the ministry to perform its functions effectively.

Delivering the 2024 financial performance report, Commissioner for Finance, Mr Maxwell Ebibai, represented by the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Treasury and Accounts, Mr Timipre Seipulu, announced a surplus revenue of N165bn for the state as at 31st December, 2024.

He said that though the state had N760bn as its approved budget of revenue for the year under review, it recorded an actual revenue of N925bn, which enabled the state to meet a total actual expenditure of N760bn.

Mr Ebibai added that funds appropriated in the 2024 budget were judiciously utilised and properly accounted for during the monthly transparency briefing of the state government as required by law.

The report reads in part, “In the opinion of the Accountant General of the State, the financial statements were in agreement with the books of account and records, and show a true and fair view of the financial condition of the Government of Bayelsa State for the year ended December 31st, 2024.”