Sylva; Your Commissioners 'Re Contractors

Militants to Sylva; Your Commissioners 'Re Contractors

SCHEMES for 2011 have started to play out in Bayelsa State as interest groups begin to press the state Governor, Mr. Timipre Sylva, to sack his cabinet.

The Network of Freedom Fighters (NFF), a militant group galvanised by Nengi James, is already alleging that members of the Executive Council of Bayelsa state have converted themselves to contractors.

''With this development, both the executive and legislative arms of the Bayelsa State Government are no longer transparent, accountable, and fair in their dealings'', the insurgent group alleged.

According to them, ''it is common knowledge and practice that commissioners are awarding contracts to themselves using their cronies and family members as conduit pipes to siphon government funds''.

But, Governor Sylva's media handlers say there is nothing of such, claiming that those spreading the falsehood are economical with the truth.

Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Doifie Ola, said on phone Monday that the Due Process Law was in full force in the state. ''Government is aware of the law and as such, cannot subvert its own law'', he said.

The militants do not seem to be persuaded. James said his insurgent group wants Sylva to consider immediate dissolution of his cabinet as presently constituted.
Their clamour for the dissolution of the cabinet, according to James, the Co-ordinator of the NFF, ''arose from the fact that the present cabinet members are bereft of ideas and have nothing to offer. Their actions and activities have so far shown that they have nothing to offer Bayelsans except to line their pockets for 2011.
Their anger, it appears, stems from the fact that the executive arm of government has not been rendering account of their stewardship periodically to the electorate.
Some of the public functionaries are alleged to be buying choice properties across the country and abroad, pointing out that the legislators were yet to also give account of the Constituency Development Funds they have been receiving.
''Some of the constituency projects claimed to have been executed by the lawmakers are not on ground, and where they are executed, they are not worth the cost implication. We are equallycalling on the Speaker, Mr. Werenipre Seibarugu to tell Bayelsans the true position of the constituency funds, and why some lawmakers were excluded from the arrangement'', they said.
The insurgents said they want the Speaker render an account for the N30 billion and the two months allocation he allegedly received while he held sway as Acting Governor.
''It is disheartening to note that Bayelsa lawmakers have abandoned their lawmaking business to chase every available government contracts. Information at disposal shows that the same lawmakers and some serving commissioners through their cronies were recently awarded various contracts at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB)'', the NFF alleged.

ENDS

© Scoop Media