Though the name, Mr. Angos Dide is not mentioned among the founding fathers of Bayelsa State, recent revelations surrounding the first school leaving certificate of Mr. Dide indicate that he may have played a role in the struggle for the creation of Bayelsa State by Late General Sani Abacha on October 1, 1996.

Mr. Dide, who purportedly had his First School Leaving Certificate from a primary school in Aliade, in far away Benue State may have claimed to come from Ekeremor Local Government Area of present Bayelsa State when neither Ekeremor nor Bayelsa State was in existence.

Available records show that Ekeremor local government area was created out of the then Sagbama local government area in 1991, while the present Bayelsa State was carved out of the old Rivers State in 1996 by the late General Sani Abacha, on October 1, 1996.

Mr. Dide's certificate (No.475404), purportedly issued to him by his head teacher at LGEA Central School in Benue State on November 10, 1986 bears Ekeremor as place of birth. Under the column of local government area, Ekeremor is written, while Bayelsa is written under the column for state of origin on the said certificate. The certificate also has the name, Helen Dide appearing under the column for name of parent or guardian.

The information on the said certificate shows that the bearer, Mr. Dide may have gained admission into class 1, during the 1980/81 academic session of LGEA Central School Aliade and progressively had his yearly promotions from class 1 to class 6 in 1986 and obtained his first school leaving certificate in the same year.

But his petitioner, one Mr. Wari Doubra from Foutorugbene in Ekeremor local government area, is contesting how Mr. Dide could have been issued with a first school leaving certificate in 1986 bearing Ekeremor local government area as his local government of origin and Bayelsa, as his state of origin ten years ahead of the creation of the present Bayelsa State which was only created in 1996. This makes the said certificate prophetic of the eventual creation of Bayelsa State as being prophetic.

Consequently, Mr. Doubra had petitioned the Police Area Commander in Yenagoa, alleging forgery and stealing, leading to the reported arrest of Mr. Angos Dide by the police in Yenagoa recently.

Incidentally, Mr. Angos Dide who contested the April 14, 2007 State House of Assembly elections in Ekeremor Constituency II under the platform of the Labour Party against the incumbent member representing Ekeremor Constituency II in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Ebiotu Seleketimibi of the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) had dragged Hon. Seleketimibi before Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Yenagoa for alleged forgery of age declaration. The case however, was ordered for a retrial by the Appeal Tribunal setting in Port Harcourt at the lower Tribunal in Yenagoa, which is ongoing.

As fate would have it, Dide's Counsel, Mr. Preye Agedah, in his book, "Electoral law in Nigeria: Practice Guide, Amazing Grace Partners (2006), had said that "One of the stock illustrations of the breath of the hearsay rule is provided by cases in which it has been held that witnesses cannot give admissible evidence of their date of birth, and the same decision has been reached with their place of origin of birth.

"Consequently, if the available evidence of a person's age is a declaration made by him (whether or not on oath) such document is legally useless both to the person and his opponents as it amounts to no more than what is now popularly called documentary hearsay. Simply put, documentary hearsay arises where evidence which amounts to hearsay is reduced into writing. In such a case, that the document or maker of the documents is of no probative value".

Mr. Doubra in his two page petition to the police area commander had stated that; "the said MR. ANGOS DIDE who at all times is known clearly to be a primary school drop-out falsified and forged a primary school leaving certificate, No. 475404 with the aim of meeting the requirement of qualification for an election into the Bayelsa State House of Assembly which he contested and failed under the platform of the Labour Party.

"The particulars of falsity and forgery in the said primary school leaving certificate are that: (a) the said certificate No. 475404, contrary to the usually typed form as to score and other necessary data in every similar certificate is herein distinctly written in long hand. (b) He claimed to have finished his primary school in the year 1986 as it appears glaringly in the said certificate at which time neither Bayelsa State nor Ekeremor Local Government Area was created as these were as at then (1986) still under Rivers State and Sagbama Local Government Area respectively.

"It is worthy of mention that Ekeremor Local Government Area was created out of present Sagbama Local Government Area in 1991 while Bayelsa State to the knowledge of all persons was created in 1996. It is highly ridiculous to observe that the said certificate is not only being forged but also prophetic as it foretells the creation of Bayelsa State ten (10) years before it was created. I attached photocopy of the said certificate for your perusal and investigation.

"I wish to also inform you that MR. ANGOS DIDE sometimes on or about June, 2003, without prior permission of the relevant government authorities is suspected to have taken and towed away a TOYOT Camry vehicle Reg. No. BY 06A11, property of the Bayelsa State Government, attached to the office of the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Youths and Sports as at then and was specifically placed for use by one Mr. Gbologbegha Enai who was the then Personal Assistant (PA) to the said Hon. Commissioner in charge of that Ministry.

"Sir, the above and many more criminal conduct are suspected to have been committed by the selfsame MR. ANGOS DIDE without complaint and investigation, hence I am petitioning your good office to invite him for investigation of all the above stated criminal acts".

Investigation reveals that the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Rt. Hon. Peremobowei Ebebi of the ruling PDP was behind Mr. Angos Dide with the intention of replacing Hon. Ebiotu Seleketimibi, representing Ekeremor Constituency II in the State House of Assembly with Mr. Angos Dide as his candidate.

All attempts to reach neither the Deputy Governor nor Mr. Angos Dide proved abortive. Investigation continues on the matter.