Date Published: 03/07/10

Nigeria: Officials jittery as EFCC raids Bayelsa

PUBLIC functionaries in Bayelsa State, one of the rich oil and gas states of the Niger Delta, are currently jittery as operatives of the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) comb the state for hard evidence, reports AkanimoReports.

The EFCC's action, according to the report,  follows a flurry of allegations and counter-allegations of high-level corruption by groups in the state.

Already, the Due Process and e-Governance Bureau, whose Director-General, Mr. Dimieari Von Kemedi, is also being linked with vices said in a statement on Friday that the clamour in the state for some public functionaries to be fired on the account of alleged graft, is a distraction.

According to the management of the bureau, ''these distractions are not surprising as people who ‘live in glass houses’ are desperately searching for any straw to save their face. For the avoidance of doubt, the EFCC has begun investigation into sharp financial practices in the state and will soon arrest and prosecute those involved''.

Continuing, the bureau said, ''these barrage of violent and malicious attacks which started as a low intensity campaign of calumny appears to be assuming an air of credibility in the mainstream media, including on-line publications, national dailies and the electronic media.

''The latest include a publication titled “Bayelsa State: These Four Commissioners should be Jailed for Corrupt Enrichment” in which the name of Dimieari Von Kemedi, Director-General of the Due Process & e-Governance Bureau is also mentioned.

''Our silence in the past months and desire not to reply to these ghostly writings by hired hands have been informed by the wisdom not to dignify the spurious allegations against the Director-General on grounds of greed and inexperience''.

The obviously angry bureau, however, stated as follows:

·         The Due Process and e-Governance Bureau has  consistently focused its attention on building and promoting transparency and accountability in Bayelsa State and have lived by it. We shall therefore not be drawn into any debate with people, whose moral compass and integrity, way beyond acceptable limits, have chosen to come to ‘equity with dirty hands’.

·         The attempt to use both fair and foul means to blackmail, harass and cast aspersion on the integrity of the Due Process and e-Governance Bureau is the handiwork of a cabal whose financial dealings and continuous scooping from the State’s resources over the years have been exposed by the introduction of Due Process in procurement and the recent staff biometric verification exercise. In December 2009, a text message without a registered name had offered to pay the Bureau Twenty-one million naira (N21m) if part of the verification report calling for full refunds of monies earned from non-existing staff in the Bayelsa payroll is yanked off.

·         The Directorate of Price Intelligence as well as Ethics and Compliance of the Bureau have regulated abuse in the procurement of goods and services in the State. There are several key functionaries of government who have benefitted from the unwieldy financial transactions in the state and have come to the reality that the various innovations introduced by the Due Process & e-Governance Bureau is blocking those loopholes. We are therefore not surprised that these attacks are coming at a time like this.

·         We sincerely appreciate the goodwill of Bayelsans and especially all those who have stood by us to deliver on this very courageous assignment. We are aware that every change process comes with its own challenges and ours cannot be an exception. We shall always remain grateful for your support and encouragement and hope we are able to collectively address the common concerns in the course of our work to move Bayelsa State forward.