The Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, is expected to appear before the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, on Monday following a petition against him on non-declaration of his assets.
An anti-corruption group, the Bayelsa Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability, BCGGA, petitioned the bureau alleging that the PDP candidate for the November 16 election failed to declare his assets between 2012 and 2013.
It was gathered that Diri would be quizzed on the petition, which claimed that within the period he was the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Bayelsa State Government House, and Principal Executive Secretary to the governor, he failed to comply with the law mandating public officers to declare their assets.
It was learnt that the CCB’s summon was served on Diri by the clerk of the National Assembly.
Confirming the development, the Executive Director of BCGGA, Mr. Joseph Ambakederimo, said Diri would appear before the CCB on Monday.
Ambakaderimo, who denied being used by any politician or political groups in the state, said the petition was based on the need to instill the spirit of accountability and good governance in the state.
He said: “We are out to ensure that the right things are done. 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.
“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. 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 thorough investigation,” he said.
He also alleged that since the group filed the petition against Diri at the CCB, 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”, he said.
