By Sampson Boroh
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 16 governorship election in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri will on Monday October 14th (Tomorrow) appear before the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) over his alleged failure to declare his assets.
Diri’s Monday appearance followed a petition filed against him by the Bayelsa Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability (BCGGA).
BCGGA, in a petition to the CCB had accused the PDP flag bearer of allegedly refusing to declare his asset while serving as Deputy Chief of Staff at the Bayelsa State Government House, and Principal Executive Secretary to the Governor between 2012 to 2014.
The group reminded the CCB that the accused ought to have complied with the law and declare his assets as a public office hold but failed to do so.
Subsequently, CCB was said to have already summoned Senator Diri, to clarify the allegation against him on Monday.
A member of the accountability group told NIGER DELTA TODAY on Saturday that the lawmaker had already been served with the summon through the clerk of the National Assembly
Our source stated that the PDP governorship candidate was evading the summon service by the agency hence the service on him through the clerk of the National Assembly.
ALSO READ: Why I Stayed Outside Nigeria For Long – Aisha Buhari
”We sent the service to his governorship campaign office but no one accepted it and it was sent through the Clerk of the National Assembly and served”, the source added.
When contacted on the authenticity of the petition against the lawmaker, the Executive Director of BCGGA, Mr. Joseph Ambakederimo, confirmed the development.
Ambakederimo said,” Yes, he is appearing before the Bureau on Monday. We have appeared to defend our petition.”
Meanwhile, BCGGA has denied being sponsored to scuttle the chances of the PDP governorship candidate in the forthcoming election by opposition politicians in the state.
Ambakaderimo stated that the petition was based on the need to instill the spirit of accountability and good governance in the state.
According to him,” We are out to ensure that the right things are done and to ensure that we instill rule of law and good governance in Bayelsa State. Nobody is sponsoring our group and every successive administration knows my pedigree.”
He also noted that those faulting the petition based on improper timing ahead of the Governorship poll are ignorant,” there is no proper time to raise such issue on rule of law and corruption. It is only proper and timely that we brought it to the public domain.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: Bayelsa Poll: Dickson Appoints 60 Special Advisers
“At the end, it will be clear to those in government that they would be accountable and that they will face scrutiny at the end. That was why the former Delta Governor, Onanefe Ibori when he finished as a Governor, corruption charges were brought against him.
“If a man does not declare his asset he is not fit to be a Governor. To be a Governor, you would have gone through thorough investigation.”
He also alleged that since the group filed the petition against Sen. Douye Diri at the Code of Conduct Bureau, there have been series of death threats issued against them on phone.
Many of our members are being threatened daily. We are putting up a petition to the Inspector-General of Police over the threats to our lives”, Ambakaderimo added.
