Bayelsa gov shuns colleagues over Jonathan •Commissioners, perm secs, others flee Yenagoa •Our Speaker not arrested by EFCC - Govt

WORRIED by unabating media reports on the frosty relationship between Acting President Goodluck Jonathan and the governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, some concerned governors have made attempts to broker peace.
But to such governors, they have an un- cooperating colleague to contend with as Sylva has rebuffed such moves, vowing instead to resist any attempt to rubbish him.

The governor also officially reacted to the widely publicised report of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), describing it as a smear political campaign to tarnish his image.

These developments came as governance in Bayelsa State may grind to a halt as a result of the EFCC report alleging over N100 billion fraud by the administration of Governor Timipre Sylva since it came on board in 2007.

At the time of this report, most senior officials of government, including commissioners, permanent secretaries and heads of parastatal agencies who are members of the governor’s inner circle have abandoned the state.

According to a source in Government House, Yenagoa, some of Sylva’s colleagues have offered to mediate, but the governor reportedly said he had done nothing wrong to warrant any form of settlement with Jonathan.

“We are all concerned about this ugly development that our oga and the acting president are still not on good terms; I thought that all we were reading on the pages of newspapers were things planted by those who wanted to further the discord to their advantage.

“But as things are now, it is clear that all is not well in the Bayelsa family; unfortunately, some of the governor’s colleagues who felt concerned have made several efforts to settle this matter, but it appears the governor himself is adamant; insisting that he has not done anything to warrant a settlement with the acting president.

“I remember that one of the governors from the North Central has tried more than 10 times to reach him, but he has maintained that he has nothing to settle.

“We will be deceiving ourselves to pretend that all is well in Bayelsa State; right now as I am talking to you, most of those commissioners, advisers and board chairmen who formed the inner circle in Government House have all gone into hiding for fear of EFCC; you can imagine that most of them have moved out of town (Yenagoa).”

Some media reports, at the weekend, quoting an EFCC interim report, had alleged fraud in the finances of the state to the tune of over N100 billion.

But Sylva, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Doifie Ola, in a statement on Sunday, said the report was “a well-structured campaign to undermine the Bayelsa State government, truncate Governor Sylva’s political career by preparing the ground for his illegal removal from office and, maybe, send him to jail after his governorship.

“We do not see it as a coincidence that, on the same day, two other newspapers carried another story about the Bayelsa State governor, saying he was contesting ‘power’ with the acting president!

“This story about grand larceny in Bayelsa State is bogus and carefully planned to achieve political ends. This story is also meant to arouse people’s emotions and incite them against the Sylva administration.

“If the EFCC has established a prima facie case against senior officials of the state government as it is claimed, the road to travel is the law court, not the pages of newspapers.”

On the alleged involvement of Sylva in the Wibros bribery scandal, the statement said “Is it the whole life of the governor that is being investigated by EFCC or his governorship?

“Everyone knows that the Wilbros matter happened before Sylva became governor. Is the said EFCC report an investigation of corruption in Bayelsa State or an investigation into the Wilbros scandal? At best, this is confusion at work!”

Meanwhile, the state government, on Sunday, denied the alleged arrest of its Speaker, Honourable Werinipre Seibarugu, by the operatives of the EFCC.

While denying the allegation, the overseer of the state Ministry of Information, Honourable Nathaniel Egba, described it as calculated attempt to cause confusion in the state.”

He said the story making the rounds that the speaker had been arrested was not true and, therefore, called on the people to disregard it.


http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/front-page-news/3224-bayelsa-gov-shuns-colleagues-over-jonathan-commissioners-perm-secs-others-flee-yenagoa-our-speaker-not-arrested-by-efcc-govt.html

Silva ur time is up. pls leave

Political gumi gumi