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| Senator Douye Diri |
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders in Bayelsa State have called on the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) to show seriousness in the case of non-declaration of assets brought against the governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the November 16 election, Senator Douye Diri.
The stakeholders under the auspices of the PDP Integrity Group (PDPIG) appealed to the CCB to refer the matter to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for trial.
The state Coordinator, CCT, Tony Ile, said the PDP members and the entire Bayelsa were watching and waiting to see how the bureau would handle the matter.
Ile, however, said they were no longer comfortable with the silence of the bureau and advised the bureau not to give an impression justifying allegations that it had been compromised on the matter.
Ile, in a statement in Yenagoa said: โIt has come to our notice that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has remained silent or may have compromised its objectives and constitutional responsibilities in the petition written and sent to it by a group called Bayelsa Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability on the alleged non- declaration of assets by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sen. Douye Diri, when he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Principal Executive Secretary to the Governor of Bayelsa State.
โAs at the last time we monitored this sordid event which was published in many national media, we were duly informed that the Bureau had invited not only the petitioners but the accused to the Bureauโs office in Abuja during which the accused failed to honour the said invitation.
โIt is quite disturbing to us as a group, that both the petitioners and the Bureau have maintained a grave silence on this grave issue of public importance. The question we are asking is; why has the Bureau failed to refer the said accused person to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for prosecution as it is in other similar cases?
โWe are aware of the constitutional responsibility of citizens who are holding any public office to declare their assets as stipulated in the 1999 constitution. Since it is agreed that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands, it is therefore that a necessary task for the CCB to ensure that someone who seeks a public office as high as governorship of a state does so without blemish.
โThe continued silence and inaction of the the CCB seem like a calculated attempt to sweep this most important issue under the carpet by the Bureau. This will amount to a great disservice not only to Bayelsa State but to the nation in general.
โWe pray the Bureau to, as a matter of public importance and urgency, expedite action by quickly informing the general public on the status of the said allegation or better still, refer the accused to the Code of Conduct Tribunal for prosecution.
โWe are also calling on the petitioners to speak out on the nature of their petition because their continued silence might be construed to mean that it has been settled although we do not believe that can happen. Failure to address these issues by the Bureau will further confirm the speculations making round it has been compromised and it has abandoned its constitutional responsibility. We need action nowโ.
