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GOVERNOR Timipre Marlin Sylva had all the opportunities to write his name in
the psyche of the Izon race like King Alfred Diete-Spiff and Late Senator Melford
Okilo their predecessors. As a son of the soil, the Governor is acutely aware of
the marginalized State of Bayelsans: near absence of federal presence,
absence of infrastructure and industries. Prior to his ascendancy, most
Bayelsans believed that with his experience as Personal Assistant to the
Minister of Petroleum and President of OPEC, he would perform fairly better in
governance. We were wrong. An old parrot can hardly learn a new language.
Both participants and spectators of governmental administration agree that
during his first year in office, Governor Timipre Sylva demonstrated some
measure of seriousness in pursuing the goals of good governance. Some
internal roads were constructed and there was some zeal in trying to complete
the projects he inherited by the previous administration. However, allegations
were rife that most of the contracts were over-inflated. Some progress was also
noticed in the education sector. Not only was the administration faithful in
meeting her obligations in respect of payments in overseas scholarships and
students bursaries, the College of Education, Okpoama was also established
even though the standard has always been called to question. In 2009, revenue
inflows into the State dwindled because of militancy, which affected the State’s
quota of oil production. This rationalized the N50 billion bond obtained by the
government.
As from 2009, there were noticeable cracks and inertia in the administration.
The first signs of deviation started to manifest when there were series of
complaints that the Governor had alienated most of those who contributed to his
electoral victory. Like Shakespare would say ‘he bestrode the world like a
colossus and regarded every Bayelsan as petty and inconsequential. Some of
those who resisted the trend were subjected to a witch-hunt reminiscent of the
Spanish Inquisition. The implications is that most of the people who would have
been bold enough to advice the Governor either kept aloof or decided to adopt a
sidon look approach. Nature abhors a vacuum, so their place was taken by self-
aggrandizing people masquerading as support groups.
Secondly, Governor Sylva constituted a cabinet which somebody aptly
described as “Third Eleven”. It was a cabinet that had more politicians than
technocrats. No administration can be better than the quality of its cabinet. A
visionary leader hires high caliber people that have expertise and that can give
credibility to the administration. But unfortunately, perhaps because of bad
advisers, the Governor surrounded himself with self-confessed loyalists and
crafty sycophants and voodoo men who have succeeded in discrediting the
administration. Such people very easily betray the Governor in times of trouble.
Thirdly, Sylva and some crafty members of his cabinet fell into the same trap for
which Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha was strongly criticized. The Governor was
given the unenviable record of the most traveled governor in Nigeria. Under the
guise of scouting for investors the tax payers money was used for junketing
around Europe, Asia, Latin America, Norway, Israel and Vietnam among other
countries. The ulterior motive was to invest Bayelsa resources in private
businesses. It is not surprising that the several MOUs of the government have
not been implemented. Bayelsa State entered into an MOU with Vietnamese on
rice cultivation, Israelis on vegetable cultivation, Norwegians on shrimp culturing
and with First Bank Plc on Housing. None of these MOUs has been
implemented. For more than four years Bayelsa State cannot boast of one
foreign investor so all the balderdash about looking for investors were
diversionary.
Fourthly, Governor Timipre Sylva engaged in extra-budgetary expenses and this
was accomplished by excessive borrowing from banks and other financial
institutions. The administration procured loans: N6 billion from Bank PHB, N60
billion from Oceanic Bank PLC and N4billion from Equatorial Trust Bank and all
was done with impunity and without the approval of the state executive council
and the Bayelsa State House of Assembly. Bayelsans were made to believe
that the N50 Billion bond was for infrastructural development but since the bond
was secured, the Senatorial District roads, the Model Secondary Schools and
other projects that justified the bond have not been touched. This is the height of
official deception, executive recklessness and impunity.
Fifthly, the corruption profile of the administration appears to be the worse we
have seen since Bayelsa State was created. Allegations are rife that Governor
Sylva failed to declare his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau before and
after assuming the office of the Personal Assistant to the minister of energy and
later petroleum – which means that on assumption of office as Governor, most
of his assets were not known. There was the case of fraudulent diversion of 27
billion naira excess crude of April 2008 to the May 2008 for the re-run
gubernatorial election and bribing the members of the Bayelsa State House of
Assembly with 2.6 billion naira to secure a post-procurement approval for the
bank loans. Another allegation is the fraudulent transfer of 40 million dollars to a
docile account of the Bayelsa State Oil- Company with the intention of
transferring the funds into private accounts as well as the criminal diversion of
N500 million released by the federal government for the construction of the State
airport. Apart from glaring cases of over-invoicing, in the award of Road
contracts, government is believed to have spent an outrageous N 37 billion on
an already completed 500-Bed Hospital including the awards of an over-inflated
7 billion naira contract for the renovation of Opolo Health Centre. These
allegations do not include diversion of state funds to finance private businesses,
buying up choice property and mindless operating foreign accounts by top
government functionaries. It is estimated that Bayelsa State might have lost
over N380 billion to corruption under the Sylva administration. It was these
allegations and public outcry that led to the ugly incident of publicly stoning the
Governor- which was symbolic of rejection by his people.
Sixtly, Governor Sylva is a serial breaker of promises and this includes non-
implementation of the budget. From 2008 till date, no budget has been
implemented. Analysis shows that government’s budget compliance index is
below 40%. Research has shown that from 2007 till 2011, Government House
and Governor’s office appropriate more money than five Ministries: Water
Resources; Environment; Women Affairs and Social Development; Commerce
and Industry and Agriculture put together. When Government House and the
Governor’s office are used as conduit-pipes, it is now understandable why top
government functionaries can operate several foreign accounts and own choice
properties abroad and the anti-graft agencies are not quick in coming.
Seventhly, there was gross misuse of the security outfit nicknamed Operation
Famou-Tangbe OFT. Not only was OFT used as an instrument of political
repression and intimidation; it was used as a killer machine like the Gestapo
under the Third Reich. OFT also played the role of debt collector, arbiter of
matrimonial issues, land disputes and other civil and domestic issues that have
no bearing on security. Officially, it is estimated that the sum of N150 Million
was spent monthly to maintain the outfit, the fact that OFT never took directives
from the Police Command show that its operations are sinister and illegal. The
Plant Manager at Gilly-Helena Hotel Late Mr. Karina Frank-Oputu - was beaten
to death by OFT operatives, Freddie Philip Ockiya, 22 was arrested and shot by
the same OFT and another ThankGod Michael, 26, was abbreviated by OFT
operatives. All these murders occurred in September, 2011. The international
Community, especially the Amnesty International was at the point of
blacklisting Nigeria before the disbandment of the outfit. These extra-judicial
killings and the allegations of government sponsorship of cult-wars put a dent on
Sylva’s democratic credentials. It is the bloodiest regime of terror Bayelsan have
ever seen.
Objective analysts now know that the Sylva administration lacks sagacity in
dealing with critical issues of state matter. For three whole years, the
administration did not conduct Council elections and the result was the
mindless diversion of Council funds. The Commissioner’s quarters built the
Alamieyeseigha administration has been sold to commissioners – who are rich
enough to buy up several houses. This amounts to the destruction of the
legacies of his predecessors. Governor Sylva placed an embargo on
employment since he assumed office but pays lip-service to job creation.
Amidst several financial scandals of government functionaries in the Sylva
administration, not even one Commissioner has been punished. There are
indications that Sylva rewards mediocrity and derides excellence. Little wonder
that while the on-going projects are metaphorically abandoned, the
commonwealth is used to pay Lawyers, bribe traditional rulers, Local
Government Chairmen and some self-serving politicians. This does not include
the countless millions spent in the media, hiring people to protest and bribing
the anti-graft agencies and even fellow governors. Now the State is Bayelsa isn
in a state of inertia because of the second tenure ambition of Governor Timipre
Sylva.
The confrontational posturing of the Governor against President Jonathan seems
to be the most buffeting of his veranda behavior. The body language of Governor
Timipre Marlin Sylva bespeaks the dilemma he has found himself. The Governor
is now a victim of the evil machinations of selfish advisers, political godfathers
with messianic posturing and spiritualists who are willing to turn him into Boko
Haram to do damage to the system or engage in self-immolation.
In the word of Forn, “When the healthy pursuit of self-interest and self-realization
turns into self-absorption, other people can lose their intrinsic value in our eyes
and become mere means to the fulfillment of our needs and desires.” Sylva is
imbued with an intoxicating sensation of omnipotence and invincibility. Like a
sadistic narcissist, he now perceives himself as Godlike, ruthless and devoid of
scruples, capricious and unfathomable, emotion-less and copiously exudes
belligerent posturing. The question is: Is Governor Sylva quarrelling himself and
dancing this vile orchestra of megalomania because of the “trinity” Of Power
Property and Protection? Discerning minds need no esoteric bravura to know
that this is the last orchestra heralds the ENDGAME.
Idumange John, Deputy President, Niger Delta Integrity Group
the psyche of the Izon race like King Alfred Diete-Spiff and Late Senator Melford
Okilo their predecessors. As a son of the soil, the Governor is acutely aware of
the marginalized State of Bayelsans: near absence of federal presence,
absence of infrastructure and industries. Prior to his ascendancy, most
Bayelsans believed that with his experience as Personal Assistant to the
Minister of Petroleum and President of OPEC, he would perform fairly better in
governance. We were wrong. An old parrot can hardly learn a new language.
Both participants and spectators of governmental administration agree that
during his first year in office, Governor Timipre Sylva demonstrated some
measure of seriousness in pursuing the goals of good governance. Some
internal roads were constructed and there was some zeal in trying to complete
the projects he inherited by the previous administration. However, allegations
were rife that most of the contracts were over-inflated. Some progress was also
noticed in the education sector. Not only was the administration faithful in
meeting her obligations in respect of payments in overseas scholarships and
students bursaries, the College of Education, Okpoama was also established
even though the standard has always been called to question. In 2009, revenue
inflows into the State dwindled because of militancy, which affected the State’s
quota of oil production. This rationalized the N50 billion bond obtained by the
government.
As from 2009, there were noticeable cracks and inertia in the administration.
The first signs of deviation started to manifest when there were series of
complaints that the Governor had alienated most of those who contributed to his
electoral victory. Like Shakespare would say ‘he bestrode the world like a
colossus and regarded every Bayelsan as petty and inconsequential. Some of
those who resisted the trend were subjected to a witch-hunt reminiscent of the
Spanish Inquisition. The implications is that most of the people who would have
been bold enough to advice the Governor either kept aloof or decided to adopt a
sidon look approach. Nature abhors a vacuum, so their place was taken by self-
aggrandizing people masquerading as support groups.
Secondly, Governor Sylva constituted a cabinet which somebody aptly
described as “Third Eleven”. It was a cabinet that had more politicians than
technocrats. No administration can be better than the quality of its cabinet. A
visionary leader hires high caliber people that have expertise and that can give
credibility to the administration. But unfortunately, perhaps because of bad
advisers, the Governor surrounded himself with self-confessed loyalists and
crafty sycophants and voodoo men who have succeeded in discrediting the
administration. Such people very easily betray the Governor in times of trouble.
Thirdly, Sylva and some crafty members of his cabinet fell into the same trap for
which Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha was strongly criticized. The Governor was
given the unenviable record of the most traveled governor in Nigeria. Under the
guise of scouting for investors the tax payers money was used for junketing
around Europe, Asia, Latin America, Norway, Israel and Vietnam among other
countries. The ulterior motive was to invest Bayelsa resources in private
businesses. It is not surprising that the several MOUs of the government have
not been implemented. Bayelsa State entered into an MOU with Vietnamese on
rice cultivation, Israelis on vegetable cultivation, Norwegians on shrimp culturing
and with First Bank Plc on Housing. None of these MOUs has been
implemented. For more than four years Bayelsa State cannot boast of one
foreign investor so all the balderdash about looking for investors were
diversionary.
Fourthly, Governor Timipre Sylva engaged in extra-budgetary expenses and this
was accomplished by excessive borrowing from banks and other financial
institutions. The administration procured loans: N6 billion from Bank PHB, N60
billion from Oceanic Bank PLC and N4billion from Equatorial Trust Bank and all
was done with impunity and without the approval of the state executive council
and the Bayelsa State House of Assembly. Bayelsans were made to believe
that the N50 Billion bond was for infrastructural development but since the bond
was secured, the Senatorial District roads, the Model Secondary Schools and
other projects that justified the bond have not been touched. This is the height of
official deception, executive recklessness and impunity.
Fifthly, the corruption profile of the administration appears to be the worse we
have seen since Bayelsa State was created. Allegations are rife that Governor
Sylva failed to declare his assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau before and
after assuming the office of the Personal Assistant to the minister of energy and
later petroleum – which means that on assumption of office as Governor, most
of his assets were not known. There was the case of fraudulent diversion of 27
billion naira excess crude of April 2008 to the May 2008 for the re-run
gubernatorial election and bribing the members of the Bayelsa State House of
Assembly with 2.6 billion naira to secure a post-procurement approval for the
bank loans. Another allegation is the fraudulent transfer of 40 million dollars to a
docile account of the Bayelsa State Oil- Company with the intention of
transferring the funds into private accounts as well as the criminal diversion of
N500 million released by the federal government for the construction of the State
airport. Apart from glaring cases of over-invoicing, in the award of Road
contracts, government is believed to have spent an outrageous N 37 billion on
an already completed 500-Bed Hospital including the awards of an over-inflated
7 billion naira contract for the renovation of Opolo Health Centre. These
allegations do not include diversion of state funds to finance private businesses,
buying up choice property and mindless operating foreign accounts by top
government functionaries. It is estimated that Bayelsa State might have lost
over N380 billion to corruption under the Sylva administration. It was these
allegations and public outcry that led to the ugly incident of publicly stoning the
Governor- which was symbolic of rejection by his people.
Sixtly, Governor Sylva is a serial breaker of promises and this includes non-
implementation of the budget. From 2008 till date, no budget has been
implemented. Analysis shows that government’s budget compliance index is
below 40%. Research has shown that from 2007 till 2011, Government House
and Governor’s office appropriate more money than five Ministries: Water
Resources; Environment; Women Affairs and Social Development; Commerce
and Industry and Agriculture put together. When Government House and the
Governor’s office are used as conduit-pipes, it is now understandable why top
government functionaries can operate several foreign accounts and own choice
properties abroad and the anti-graft agencies are not quick in coming.
Seventhly, there was gross misuse of the security outfit nicknamed Operation
Famou-Tangbe OFT. Not only was OFT used as an instrument of political
repression and intimidation; it was used as a killer machine like the Gestapo
under the Third Reich. OFT also played the role of debt collector, arbiter of
matrimonial issues, land disputes and other civil and domestic issues that have
no bearing on security. Officially, it is estimated that the sum of N150 Million
was spent monthly to maintain the outfit, the fact that OFT never took directives
from the Police Command show that its operations are sinister and illegal. The
Plant Manager at Gilly-Helena Hotel Late Mr. Karina Frank-Oputu - was beaten
to death by OFT operatives, Freddie Philip Ockiya, 22 was arrested and shot by
the same OFT and another ThankGod Michael, 26, was abbreviated by OFT
operatives. All these murders occurred in September, 2011. The international
Community, especially the Amnesty International was at the point of
blacklisting Nigeria before the disbandment of the outfit. These extra-judicial
killings and the allegations of government sponsorship of cult-wars put a dent on
Sylva’s democratic credentials. It is the bloodiest regime of terror Bayelsan have
ever seen.
Objective analysts now know that the Sylva administration lacks sagacity in
dealing with critical issues of state matter. For three whole years, the
administration did not conduct Council elections and the result was the
mindless diversion of Council funds. The Commissioner’s quarters built the
Alamieyeseigha administration has been sold to commissioners – who are rich
enough to buy up several houses. This amounts to the destruction of the
legacies of his predecessors. Governor Sylva placed an embargo on
employment since he assumed office but pays lip-service to job creation.
Amidst several financial scandals of government functionaries in the Sylva
administration, not even one Commissioner has been punished. There are
indications that Sylva rewards mediocrity and derides excellence. Little wonder
that while the on-going projects are metaphorically abandoned, the
commonwealth is used to pay Lawyers, bribe traditional rulers, Local
Government Chairmen and some self-serving politicians. This does not include
the countless millions spent in the media, hiring people to protest and bribing
the anti-graft agencies and even fellow governors. Now the State is Bayelsa isn
in a state of inertia because of the second tenure ambition of Governor Timipre
Sylva.
The confrontational posturing of the Governor against President Jonathan seems
to be the most buffeting of his veranda behavior. The body language of Governor
Timipre Marlin Sylva bespeaks the dilemma he has found himself. The Governor
is now a victim of the evil machinations of selfish advisers, political godfathers
with messianic posturing and spiritualists who are willing to turn him into Boko
Haram to do damage to the system or engage in self-immolation.
In the word of Forn, “When the healthy pursuit of self-interest and self-realization
turns into self-absorption, other people can lose their intrinsic value in our eyes
and become mere means to the fulfillment of our needs and desires.” Sylva is
imbued with an intoxicating sensation of omnipotence and invincibility. Like a
sadistic narcissist, he now perceives himself as Godlike, ruthless and devoid of
scruples, capricious and unfathomable, emotion-less and copiously exudes
belligerent posturing. The question is: Is Governor Sylva quarrelling himself and
dancing this vile orchestra of megalomania because of the “trinity” Of Power
Property and Protection? Discerning minds need no esoteric bravura to know
that this is the last orchestra heralds the ENDGAME.
Idumange John, Deputy President, Niger Delta Integrity Group
Idumange John
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Seven Sins of Sylva and the Last Orchestra
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