Former Petroleum Minister, Timipre Sylva has claimed that the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri is employing diversionary tactics to distract his case at the Appeal Court.
Sylva said the governor’s directive to his Attorney-General, ordering his prosecution over the death of one George Sibo in the last governorship election shows that he has become desperate.
The former governor recalled that Diri had abandoned a phantom EFCC case he conjured to distract him and had devised another style in a failed attempt to stop him and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from concentrating on their case.
He insisted that Diri’s new plot was dead on arrival, adding that he knows nothing about the death of George Sibo, whom he described as an illustrious and promising youth of the state.
Speaking via a statement signed by his Special Assistant, Media, Julius Bokoru, the erstwhile Minister asked members of the public to discountenance the new plot by the governor, insisting that nothing would stop him from reclaiming his stolen mandate.
Bokoru said: “Chief Sylva is curious at what Diri’s apparent desperation can push him to. It is clear this recent effort is a symptom of fear, shortly after Diri tried to conjure some phantom EFCC case against Sylva he has devised a new method of distraction which, of course, is dead on arrival.
Sylva knows nothing of the murder of George Sibo, an illustrious and promising youth of the state, it is important to note that by the time the young man died Sylva was well out of the Island.”
The statement alleged that Diri had continued to spend huge amount of taxpayers’ money on heavy propaganda to distract Sylva’s focus on his case.
The statement further said: “It is clear that this is fear, anxiety and everything to distract Chief Sylva after his attempt to bring up EFCC issues failed at the wake of a long and relentless string of propaganda against Chief Sylva with tax payers monies.
“It is clear that any attempt to drag Chief Sylva into this issue is either inspired by fear and anxiety or by a thoroughly jaundiced-mindset.
Everything imaginable has been put in Sylva’s way to distract him. After Diri’s attempt to bring up phantom EFCC issues failed. After the endless and relentless string of propaganda failed against Chief Sylva. Now this!
This response, which at this point is forced from Chief Sylva, is painful for two reasons: how can a sitting governor assume the role of a forensic and criminal investigator, and convict Chief Sylva even before investigations commenced? How much more can a sitting governor debase the office, making such wild, frantic and baseless allegations?”
