•No link with on-going deputy gov’s impeachment process, says govt
From Segun James in Yenagoa, 06.06.2010

Twenty four members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly have had the votes for their constituency projects released by the state government. Each of the constituencies that the 24 lawmakers represent will receive N100 million for approved projects.

But the state government last night defended its action, and said although, the development coincided with the on-going impeachment process against the deputy governor, Perebowei Ebebi, the release was not in any way linked with the impeachment notice that has been served on Ebebi by the lawmakers. Seventeen of the 24 lawmkers signed last week the impeachment notice served on Ebebi who had been at logger heads with the governor, Mr. Timipre Sylva.

Co-ordinator, Ministry of Information and Tourism, Hon. Nathan Egba, told THISDAY on telephone that the government undertook to execute the projects now “, because we are more comfortable this month than last month. The allocation we received this month is better than that of last month. We are aware of the speculations making the round in the state that we decided to release the votes for the projects now because of the impeachment; this is a mere coincidence. The release has nothing to do with what is going on in the state Assembly.

“If the government decided to cite projects in constituencies, who else should it pass the projects through, than the elected representatives of the people?” he asked.

However, THISDAY gathered that majority of the legislators, who allegedly made the release of the vote for the constituency projects a condition to continue in the process to remove the Deputy Governor, have since Friday, been staying at the Government House, Yenagoa, as they perfect the deal with the state Ministry of Finance officials.

Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Kumbowei Benson, told newsmen at the Government Guest House 10 where some of the legislators now live, that some of the lawmakers moved to Government House following a bomb blast near their legislative quarters, a situation which forced some of them to scamper to safety in the Government House while others moved out of the state to Abuja, Port Harcourt and Lagos .

On the allegation that they were induced by the government with the release of the constituency vote, Benson said the money had been earmarked for payment before the impeachment notice was served on the deputy governor. He said the release of the vote has nothing to do with the impeachment move, instead it was a mere coincidence, he explained

He denied that the money would be paid to the legislators directly, but admitted that the vote would be paid to a contractor recommended by each of them for projects located in their constituency.

It would be recalled that the release of such votes to lawmakers has been the practice in the state since the era of former governor of the state, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha. A lawmaker at the time was paid N100 million Constituency Project Fund each year by the state government.

In 2008, the refusal of the Speaker, Chief Wernipre Seibarugu to release the fund for some House members, who were part of the move to remove Governor Timipre Sylva generated crisis in the state.

However, Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Silva Opuala-Charles said he has not been given any order by the governor to release any constituency project fund.

Meanwhile, barely five days after the impeachment notice was served on Ebebi, the scramble for his office has begun with five persons indicating interest in succeeding him. Among the contenders for the number two slot is the Speaker, who is from Bayelsa Central.

Others are the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Gideon Ekeuwei, also from Bayelsa Central; the Commissioner for Youth and Conflict Resolution, Bekes Etifa who is from Bayelsa West, the same constituency as Ebebi, and who was the person used to counter Ebebi’s influence in his Ekeremor area by the government.

Also in the race is the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Waripamowei Dudafa and the only female, Mrs. Aghata Goma. She was a former colleague of Sylva in the old River State House of Assembly in the Third Republic.

Goma, who is believed to be highly favoured by the Governor, was a Commis-sioner for Education under Alamieyeseigha, but is now the Chairman of the state Parks and Gardens Committee.