Group to Lyon: Probe appointment of 35 Perm Secs

Yenagoa – The Bayelsa Rainbow Coalition for Good Governance on Tuesday urged the incoming administration in Bayelsa to be wary of the last minute policies of the outgoing administration including appointment of 35 Permanent Secretaries.

Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa had on Nov. 22 inaugurated 35 new Permanent Secretaries and one Commisioner three months to the end of his second tenure.

Addressing a news Conference in Yenagoa, Mr Francis Wainwei, Chairman of the group flanked by its Secretary, Mr Goodluck Igbudu, noted that it was an irony that the Dickson led administration was engaging in acts that would increase the liability of incoming government.

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The coalition urged the incoming governor of Bayelsa, Chief David Lyon, to set up a committee to verify the procedures deployed in the appointment of the Permanent Secretaries.

The group noted that the outgoing administration should not create financial obstacles to slow down the incoming administration which should be allowed to start of on a clean slate.

“We are worried about the intentions of the outgoing administration calculated to set traps for the new government, with the intention of creating avenues to blackmail the new government.

“The idea is to create unnecessary liabilities for the new administration.

“The same government that complained that the Civil Service is oberbloated, at the 11th hour of its terminal date of Feb. 14 is appointing 35 Permanent Secretaries in one fell swoop, the first time in the history of Bayelsa.

“We want the new government to scrutinise if the Public Service Rules as regards Vacancy, Spread and Qualifications was followed in the appointments.

“Our checks show that 11 of the 35 newly-appointed Permanent Secretaries hail from Sagbama Local Government where Gov. Dickson hails from and that is unfair to other local governments, what is the sustainability of the appointment on the resources of the state?

” It had also come to our notice that a lot of employments are ongoing as government officials are issuing employment letters without adherence to laid down procedures.

“The plan is that when the incoming government wants to raise concerns, the opposition will use it to blackmail the government and create the impression that the new government does not have a human face,” Wainwei said.

However, Dickson had in justifying the appointment claimed that it was in the overall interst of the state.

The governor had on Nov. 22 advised the new Commissioner, Mr Felix Sam-Ateki, and 35 permanent secretaries to work with the incoming administration to ensure full implementation of the civil service reforms. (NAN)