In a dual move to clamp down on non-performance in the local government areas of Bayelsa state and enact a revenge of sorts on those who displayed their disloyalty to the administration of the State Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson, through their support of former Governor Timipre Sylva, the State House of Assembly sacked five Local Government Council Chairmen. Osa Okhomina examines the events that transpired.
When the Bayelsa State Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson rated low the Council Chairmen in the state for non-performance and in his words, “turning the Council to Cocoa farm”, many knew that the restoration wind that has been blowing in so many sectors of the state is about to weed off some Council Chairmen for good.
While many knew that the perceived restoration breeze will be clouded and in form of a double edge sword for poor performance and political revenge for disloyalty during the battle of wits between the labeled boys of the Former Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, they were not far from the truth.
Five Council Chairmen, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe (Southern Ijaw), Ngo Sylva (Brass), Eddy Julius (Ekeremor), Pere Pereotu (Sagbama) and Sammy Boy (Ogbia) were sacked. They had only six months to the end of their tenure as Council Chairmen. The sack formed parts of the recommendations of the report by the State Assembly on the last week probe into the accounts of the Councils on the floor of the House.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the members of the State House of Assembly led by the Speaker, Kombowei Benson, arrived at the decision on the suspension of the affected Council Chairmen on Tuesday after six hours of deliberations and the recommendations were forward to the office of the State Deputy Governor. The Vice Chairmen of the affected Councils were immediately sworn-in by the State Chief Judge, Justice Kate Abiri at a brief ceremony in the Government House as substantive Chairmen.
?Those sworn-in on Wednesday night as Chairmen include Yousuo Oberiakuna (Brass), Felix Ayah (Southern Ijaw), Ibegu Richard (Ogbia), John Ebikake (Ekeremor) and Tony Ogola (Sagbama).
In the statement issued from the office of the State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah and signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Ebi Evisson, “The affected chairmen were removed from office by the State House of Assembly on account of gross misconduct in accordance with section 24(6) of the State Local Government Law 2000 as amended”.
According to the statement, the Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson, represented by his Deputy, had warned the newly sworn-in Chairmen to execute projects that will develop and impact positively on the lives of the people in their respective Local Government Councils. “Don’t abuse the opportunity given to you to serve the people effectively and turn around the fortunes of the council”.
Heavy deployment of policemen including the newly formed security patrol team known as Operation “Doo-akpo” were noticed in the strategic part of the Bayelsa State capital. The policemen were armed and drove around the State capital with loud sirens. Some were deployed to keep vigil at the headquarters of the affected Local Government Councils.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP on the development, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Fidelix Odunna stated that the deployment and the movement around some strategic areas of the state were meant to make the public aware of the alertness of the police if cases of civil unrest arise. He said, “We would not allow the supporters of the sacked Chairmen to stage a protest that could lead to the breakdown of law and order in the state. They should, instead, choose the law court”.
The five affected Local Council Chairmen have had a running battle with some of their political godfathers during the pre and post era of Chief Timipre Sylva. The Chairman of the Ekeremor Local Government Council, Mr Eddy Julius, was considered a sinful child that “disrespected” former Deputy Governor under Sylva and a leading figure of the restoration team, Hon Peremobowei Ebebi.
That of Ogbia LGA, the home council of the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, was said to be unknown to the President and has never shown up at the President’s Door steps during the numerous home visits to the State. He was considered a choice made by the Timipre Sylva’s boys led by the Chief of Staff, Sam Ogbuku. While the removed Chairman of Brass, Nathaniel Ngo-Sylva was considered Sylva’s watch eye in his home council.
The “sins” of the Sagbama Local Government Chairman, Perez Peretu , was considered numerous. He was seen as a Chairman that was going under before the arrival of the restoration team of Governor Seriake Dickson. He had an impeachment notice from the Councillors hanging over him and had lost the confidence needed before the incumbent Governor.
In the case of the sacked Chairman of the Southern Ijaw Local Government Council, Chief Tiwe Orunimighe, he was considered to be an enemy from the day the ALGON staged a reception for the removed Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva at the height of his battle for survival against the onslaught of the President and his men. The reception was tagged “triumphant entry”.
At the controversial reception, Tiwe Orunimighe, was alleged to have claimed that the “Wall of PDP will fall if Sylva is not made the candidate of the PDP ahead of the 2012 elections”. But the PDP wall was solidified by the President and his men against the Sylva’s boys and Timipre Sylva lost out.
In spite of Tiwe Orunimighe’s show of confidence before the members of the Assembly during the probe, which was allegedly used as a cover by the present administration to remove them from office, the battle seemed lost as the mind of the Governor through the Assembly was made up. Even his effort at mobilizing all the Council Chairmen on an open loyalty visit to Hon Seriake Dickson could not save him.
The Southern Ijaw Council boss displayed some high level of education and his recent consistent effort to make public the monthly incomes and expenditures in his council before his appearance before the House. This is in line with the recently passed law on Transparency and Accountability.
Coincidental, most of the Vice Chairmen to the sacked Chairmen were loyal to the restoration campaign that brought into power the Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson. They were allegedly subjected to some inhuman treatment by the former Chairmen under the supervision of Former Governor, Timipre Sylva.
However, the details of the hearing into the performance of the Council Chairmen showed that some of them lacked integrity and were fraudulently enriching themselves without due caution from the ruling Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the State Government under the administration of Timipre Sylva.
The symbolic Golgotha where the Council Chairmen were slaughtered was the State Assembly complex. The probe of the Local Council Chairmen sparked off worry from the State Governor, Hon Seriake Dickson.
His Deputy, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha, John Jonah was the first to notify the people of the State of the alleged poor management of finances and rising cases of over bloated wage Bill by the Council Chairmen.
Dickson slammed the conduct of the Eight Local Government Chairmen in Bayelsa State, describing their poor attitude to governance and non-performance as a shame to the indigenes of the various council areas of the State.
Governor Dickson, who accused the Council Chairmen and some Senior Council Executives of turning the Local Government system into a “cocoa farm” where illegal harvest of development funds into private pockets are carried out, said the his administration is waiting for the final report of the State House of Assembly on the probe conducted into the administration of Local Government Councils in the State.
Governor Seriake Dickson, told the prominent indigenes of the state during the swearing-in ceremony of a new Commissioner, Dame Didi Walson Jack and Four Special Advisers as well as Chairmen and Members of various statutory bodies in the State, that the local Government system in the state is nothing to write home about and it is unacceptable.
According to him, “The Local Government System in Bayelsa State is nothing to write home about due to the poor performance, the State Assembly recently examined the system and we are waiting for the report and we will act appropriately. If we are able to turn the system around, we can make them become responsible and proactive to support the restoration journey of delivery of the dividend of democracy”
“We have discovered that the funds in the system are used to pay non-existing workforce, unverifiable projects. It is not acceptable. From February till date, the state government has not deducted any money from Local Government funds and yet, they cannot fulfill their obligations to the people and are unable to pay salaries of teachers. If we can ensure fiscal discipline, the people will enjoy the benefits of local government administration. The Local Government Chairmen has nothing to show for the huge funding to the system. The Senior Personnel of the Local Government including the DPMs and HPMs have turned the council system into a local farm where they make illegal harvest”.
Governor Dickson noted that with the setting up of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) and headed by Chief Blessing Izagara Ipiganson, the state is set to conduct a free and fair Local Government Council election that will produce credible Local Government Chairmen and Councilors needed for a more transparent Local Government system in the State.
While appearing before the House, Council Bosses of Yenagoa, Ogbia and Nembe , Michael Ogbolonsinger,? Sammy Boy and Waribugo Sylva respectively showed that the Council Chairmen engaged in open disregard to rules in award of contracts and lack of knowledge on the running of the Council. Responding to a question by Hon Tonye Isenah( Kolokuma/ Opokuma 1) on the staff strength and rising wage bill, Ogbolonsinger described the local government council as a welfare scheme whereby people only come to work to collect salaries.
The deputy speaker, Hon Sammy Victor Ateke accused Ogbolonsinger of dereliction of duty for paying 800 staffers in the administration department when half of them do not report to work. He reminded him that the House is performing its constitutional functions, stressing that any decision taken by the House on the poor performance of the council chairmen should not be seen as witch-hunting. Mr Sammy Boy of Ogbia had a rough time with the House of Assembly members as they accused him of executing projects not listed in the budget.
Hon Korokura Dorgu ( Southern Ijaw constituency 1) pointed out that more than five projects Boy said he had executed? cannot be found in the budget. The lawmakers were also shocked when Boy told them that he appointed 10 supervisory councilors instead of four and that he has no limit to cash approval.
The investigations into the activities of local government chairman of Sagbama, Mr Pere Peretu, showed that money of the council were spent without an appropriation law. The lawmakers were furious that the chairman, workers and political office holders in the council received salaries and allowances from January to June without an enabling law.
They were also angry that the protracted crisis between Peretu and the councillors had torn the council apart as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kombowei Benson, described the council as non-existent. One of the lawmakers, Mr Victor Ateke, opened the floor with questions accusing the chairman of spending the council’s money illegally.
He recalled that councilors in the council had signed a letter preventing the council’s bank from releasing further money to the chairman. When asked whether there was a law allowing a local government chairman to spend money without a budget, Peretu said, “Though I am a lawyer, I don’t know all the laws”.
Responding to the issues, Peretu admitted that he was unable to present a budget of the council because of the crisis between him and the councillors. He said the crisis prevented him from adhering strictly to the financial laws in the state describing himself as “embattled”. “I am embattled and so I have been running from pillar to post. I am sorry for violating the laws”, he said. But other lawmakers accused the chairman as over-indulgence, mismanagement, contract inflation and reckless spending.
The Speaker, Hon Kombowei Benson told the embattled Sagbama Chairman of being the architect of his problem, “The legislative arm of the local government is not in existence. So, Sagbama local council is not working”. He observed that some transactions in the council were made without proper documentation.