An open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Your Excellency Sir,
We are constrained by our state of helplessness and worry, as Nigerians and faithful members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, to use this medium to notify you, and perhaps, acquaint you with some facts about the perception of true progressives and indigenes of the state about the perceived double standard being set over the issues of corruption charges against former Governor Timipre Sylva.
Before going into the list of our worries, we have to congratulate you, President Muhammad Buhari, and the other founding fathers of our great party, former governor and National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and many others numerous to mention.
Also recognised by the people of Bayelsa are the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the progressive-minded governors of our party and the millions of loyalists of our party in Nigeria and in Diaspora.
Your Excellency, the people of Bayelsa State want to commend you for the pragmatic change ongoing in the various sectors of the country. Your administration’s anti-corruption posture couples with patient and focused internal and foreign policies is rebuilding the needed self esteem among Nigerians. We are proud to note that the issues of power generation and distribution have improved like never before.
Also worthy of mention is your administration’s effort to recover stolen funds from political office holders, appointees and elected officers in the country. A case study is glaring evidence of looted funds being returned and others arrested overseas with our stolen monies. A recent case is the arrest of former Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
As worthy change Ambassadors in Bayelsa State, we had in the past spoke out against the unworthy and unpatriotic conduct of political office holders under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. Though, we were harassed and our businesses nearly crippled, our cries are now becoming realities with glaring evidence that they were corrupt and had stolen our monies. We are vindicated.
Your Excellency, we have become worried in recent times by the questions being asked by the millions of admirers and loyalists of the anti-corruption posture of your administration. While we have put forward truthful defence for the pragmatic and resolute socio-economic policies of your administration, we are yet unable to convince anyone, in Bayelsa and other states of the federation, on the inability of your administration to allow the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to charge and prosecute Chief Timipre Sylva of corrupt practices while he was the governor of the state.
It is a known fact that Chief Timipre Sylva, who has been charged with barrage of criminal cases by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is allowed, as usual, to walk with the flag of the party for the December 5 election. Is this not a game plan to discredit the hard work of your administration and the APC?
How can a man that had over N1.4 trillion accrued to his administration in six years and fail to justify the spending, be the flag bearer of APC? Sylva had all the state monies from the Ecological Fund, the Federal Allocation and many others, but yet left the state with huge debt profile. The issue of non-prosecution of Chief Timipre Sylva is being counted against your administration and the APC by the people.
Many asked if the anti-corruption posture of your administration is targetted to fight the enemies and the opposition under the last administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan or to protect friends hiding under the progressive status of the APC. And we agreed that though the fight against corruption is total as promised by you, the Sylva issue must be allowed to be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted by the EFCC.
While the Government of United Kingdom arrested Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke of money laundering and prosecuted her, the Nigerian Government is seen as being unable to prosecute Chief Timipre Sylva, rather, he was accorded the position of Deputy Chairman of the Transition Committee of the present administration and handed the flag of the party ahead of the December 5 governorship election, despite protests. Are we robbing Paul to pay Peter?
Your Excellency, we believe that due to your busy schedule at repositioning the nation in the direction of greatness, some “CABAL” have been formed within the Presidency and are providing embarrassing cover to some selected persons, including Chief Timipre Sylva. We are worried that they are deep in the corridors of your Presidency and have become known to the people.
What we have continued to ask is why are these “cabals” protecting Timipre Sylva? Why are they not allowing him to be prosecuted? Why are they out to rubbish you and the APC? Why did they rubbish the hard-earned reputation of the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiohmole and the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun because the advancement of Chief Sylva is meant to get power in Bayelsa and advance their shady interest?
It is laughable that the “CABAL” has arrogated power to themselves and are playing “God” with the future of the APC and your administration.
Already, this “CABAL” has become jittery and has started issuing threats to kill, maim and destroy those opposed to their “investment”, Chief Timipre Sylva. The pro-Sylva supporters have left no one in doubt with open claims that the election in Bayelsa will not be won through ballots but by force. They claimed to have your National Security Adviser, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Nigerian Military and others in their list of “contingency support” for the Election.
Today, our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is making progress with the coming December 5 governorship election in Bayelsa Sate. But the progress made by the party, so far, is worrisome and tainted with fraud.
How is he expected to perpetuate change in Bayelsa under the APC? Is it the sense of insecurity the name of Sylva exhumes in the mind of the people? To Bayelsa people, Sylva is a name synonymous with death, blood and violence.
Your Excellency, though you have at various fora including your Independence Day National Broadcast declared that Nigerians should depart from their old ways and characters, Chief Timipre Sylva is an old way that must be corrected. If the APC, Chief Timipre Sylva and his “Cabal” in Abuja believe that the alleged plot to deploy the Federal Might against the people of the State will deliver Sylva from failure, they are wrong. We, the APC members, will “Sidon look” and allow the people to decide.
The people of the state watched with renewed interest as the Sylva scheme is being executed. And they are ready to show the APC that such fraudulent change is not needed in Bayelsa. Instead, they may continue dining with the administration in place. For the APC to get it right, the time for the change is now in Bayelsa with the prosecution of Chief Timipre Sylva.
Your Excellency sir, while we await Justice and Equity, we urge you to investigate these issues and use your good offices to reverse the observed act by some few to destroy the growing reputation of your administration and the APC.
A-P-C…… CHANGE
Signed:
CHIEF PEREKEME KPODO
