Bayelsa State Post Flood Committee absolves former Gov Dickson of fraud allegation

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson has been absolved of allegations of financial impropriety totalling N17.5b against him by a non – governmental organization at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The Bayelsa State Post Flood Management Committee in a statement on Monday made clarifications on the alleged diversion of N17.5 billion.

The committee categorically rejected the claim that it received N17.5bn for flood victims at any time.

The Committee’s statement was released following a petition by a Non Governmental Organisation
HEDA to the EFCC, accusing Dickson on complicity in the N17.5b fund.

The Bayelsa State Post Flood Management Committee said that it received a total cash donation of N552,000,000 from public spirited individuals during the 2012 flood.

Secretary of the committee, Mr Iniruo Wills stated that the Committee received N500 million from the Chairman of Globacom, Otunba Mike Adenuga.

It was stated further that the Bayelsa State government under Senator Henry Seriake Dickson authorized release of N32,000,000 million for administrative expenses and another N20 million for relief materials (Mattresses, Food Items, Medical, Consumables, Toiletries etc.)

The statement said “the committee’s report is a further proof of the misinformation to the EFCC by the said NGO HEDA and should apologize to Senator Dickson and Nigerians at large.

“The report stated that the Committee embarked on interventionist efforts in 350 communities ravaged by the flood to complement the efforts of the State’s Flood Emergency Relief Management Committee led by the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd). The Jonah John led committee was fully funded by the state government with no donor funds.

“Soon after inauguration, the Post Flood Committee embarked on the distribution of relief materials such as mattresses and medical consumables to schools, health institutions and youth corps members’ lodges, while affected communities benefited from food items and other consumables to complement earlier relief efforts by the State’s Flood Emergency Relief Management Committee led by the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (rtd). The report read.

“The copy of the report produced by the Chairman, the late Chief Francis Doukpola, former Chairman Bayelsa Council of Elders and Mr Iniruo Wills, a former Commissioner for Environment stated that the Committee took further steps to ensure that houses that were affected by the flood were salvaged.

“It was stated further that a total of 140,000 bags of cement were donated to 350 communities each of which got 400 bags”

The former governor Senator Dickson had denied in an earlier statement that the state government did not receive such funds while he was governor and that the government handed over the N500m donation by Mike Adenuga to the Post Flood Committee.