A clarion call has gone to President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to allow
\nformer governor of Bayelsa State and now candidate of the All progressives
\nCongress (APC) in the state, Timipre Sylva, face prosecution for his cases
\nbefore the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Sylva, who was
\ngovernor of the state for five years between 2007 to 2011 had been in and
\nout of the EFCC over financial offences allegedly committed while in
\noffice.<\/p>\n
However, the EFCC had been unable to prosecute Sylva on the said offences
\nbecause of what is believed to be his \u201csolid connection\u201d with some
\ninfluential government officials in the Presidency.<\/p>\n
Some moral questions are up for answers, it was learnt.<\/p>\n
Indications to this were contained in a public letter (petition) sent to
\nPresident Muhammadu Buhari by a leading member of the APC in Bayelsa
\nState, Chief Perekeme Kpodo.<\/p>\n
In the letter dated 16th October 2015, Kpodo raised a lot of questions on
\nSylva\u2019s case and implications on the image and integrity of President
\nBuhari and his administration in the war against corruption.<\/p>\n
Kpodo, who claimed that about N1.4trilion accrued to the state coffers
\nduring a five-year period under Sylva but without anything to show for
\nsuch huge expenditure, said inability to prosecute Sylva based on \u201cclear
\ncases of corruption\u201d will invariably justify the accusation that the
\nBuhari administration is biased in its fight against corruption.<\/p>\n
According to him, while leading figures in the immediate past
\nadministration of President Goodluck Jonathan were being prosecuted like
\nthe case of former Petroleum Minister, Diezeani Allison-Maduake in
\nBritain, others like Sylva were being covered, stating further that the
\nimpression was being created that it is only the enemies or opponents of
\nthe APC-led federal government that could only be prosecuted for financial
\ncrimes offences.<\/p>\n
He stated: \u201cIt is a known fact that Chief Timipre Sylva, who has been
\ncharged with barrage of criminal charges by the Economic and Financial
\nCrime Commission (EFCC) is allowed, as usual, to walk with the flag of the
\nparty for the December 5 election despite protests. He was even accorded
\nthe position of Deputy Chairman of the Transition Committee of the present
\nadministration.\u00a0 Are we now robbing Peter to pay Paul? Is this not a game
\nplan to discredit the hard work of your administration and the APC?<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can a man that had over N1.4trillion accrued to his administration in
\nfive years and fail to justify the spending?\u00a0 Sylva had all the State
\nmonies from the Ecological fund, the Federal Allocation and many others,
\nbut yet left the state with huge debt profile.\u00a0 The issue of
\nnon-prosecution of Chief Timipre Sylva is being counted against your
\nadministration and the APC by the people.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany asked if the Anti-corruption posture of your administration is
\ntargeted to fight the enemies and the opposition under the last
\nadministration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan or to protect friends hiding under
\nthe progressive status of the All Progressive Congress (APC).?\u00a0 And we
\nagreed that though the fight against corruption is total as promised by
\nyou, the Sylva\u2019s issue must be allowed to be thoroughly investigated and
\nprosecuted by the EFCC\u201d.<\/p>\n
The party leader drew Buhari\u2019s attention to a disturbing accusation that
\na powerful cabal was already existing in the Aso Villa which he said had
\nbeen deciding those to face prosecution or otherwise. These power
\nbrokers, he noted, included the National Security Adviser to the
\nPresident, the Secretary to the government of the federation, the
\nNigerian military and others he said were behind the covering of Timipre
\nSylva over prosecution.<\/p>\n
He was emphatic that Sylva has a \u201cstrong relationship\u201d with these listed
\nindividuals or bodies and prosecuting him won\u2019t be in their strategic
\ninterest.<\/p>\n
\u201cA cabal has been formed within the Presidency and providing embarrassing
\ncover to some selected persons, including Chief Timipre Sylva.\u00a0 We are
\nworried that they are deep in the corridors of your Presidency and have
\nbecome known to the people.<\/p>\n
What we have continued to ask is why is this cabal protecting Timipre
\nSylva?\u00a0 Why are they not allowing him to be prosecuted?\u00a0 Why are they out
\nto rubbishing you and the APC?\u00a0 Why did they rubbish the hard earned
\nreputation of the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiohmole and the National
\nChairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun for the advancement of Chief Sylva? Is
\nit meant to get power in Bayelsa and advance their shady oil interest? he
\nasked.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is laughable that the cabal has arrogated power to themselves and
\nplaying \u201cGod\u201d with the future of the APC and your administration\u201d, he
\nfurther noted.<\/p>\n
Kpodo also accused the alleged cabal of plotting to rig the December 5
\ngovernorship election in the state, warning of the consequences as he
\nsaid the people will resist any imposition of Sylva on them as governor
\n\u201cby<\/p>\n
force.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s to the greatest interest on President Buhari, his administration and
\nhistory that the Niger Delta must not be allowed to be thrown into chaos
\nagain over any selfish and irresponsible action. The president must be a
\nstatesman\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n
He stated that in furtherance of their agenda to rig the election, they
\nhave also resorted to dropping names of key security operatives and
\nstrategic leaders of national institutions to deceive the people and
\nsecurity apparatus in Bayelsa State.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey claimed to have your National Security Adviser (NSA), Secretary to
\nthe Government of the Federation (SGF), the Nigerian Military and others
\nin their list of \u201ccontingency support\u201d for the election. Today, our
\nparty, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is making progress with the
\ncoming December 5 Governorship election in Bayelsa State.\u00a0 But the
\nprogress made by the party, so far, is worrisome because it is tainted
\nwith fraud.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow is he (Sylva) expected to carry out change in Bayelsa under the APC?
\nSylva is a name synonymous with death, blood and violence\u201d, he asserted.<\/p>\n
According to Kpodo, Sylva represented the old way in Bayelsa, adding that
\nif the APC, Sylva and his alleged cabal in Abuja believed they could
\ndeploy the federal might against the people of the State to rig the
\nelection, they were wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe, the APC members, will \u201csidon look\u201d and allow the people to decide\u201d,
\nhe stated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A clarion call has gone to President Muhammadu Buhari on the need to allow former governor of Bayelsa State and now candidate of the All progressives Congress (APC) in the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n