Niger Delta Coalition For Good Governance ---In Support Of The Mangrove Boys

By Niger Delta Coalition For Good Governance

We the members of the Niger Delta Coalition for Good Governance hereby throw her weight behind the Mangrove Boys’ bid to engage on a peaceful protest towards the emergence of Mr. Timipre Sylva as the flag-bearer of the All Progressive Party, through a rather flawed process. We had an emergency meeting after thoroughly reading through the imperatives of a peaceful protest.

We reckon that democracy is all about a peoples yearning for good governance. Translated in pragmatic terms, democracy is good governance as encapsulated in prudence, transparency in the transaction of governmental businesses, popular participation, people-oriented programme and above all the protection of lives and property of the governed. Other concepts associated with good governance include the rule of law, as against violence, constitutionalism as against the skewed implementation of the law and its processes, responsiveness as against recklessness and apathy, and touching the lives of the people through programmes and policies.

We are one NGO that wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police about the scores of extra-judicial murder perpetrated by ex-Governor Timipre Sylva and the mindless looting of the Resources of Bayelsa State. We were happy that the Federal Government timeously abolished the killer outfit called Operation Famou Tangbei. This singular action brought respite to Bayelsa State. Although Bayelsans felt a sense of relief, the gory memories of the day time killings, countless extrajudicial murders of innocent youths, and the cultism which he so lavishly sponsored still remain as a sad reminder of a Gestapo regime bloodletting, a regime of totalitarianism, insecurity and terror. Mr. Timipre Sylva has since then neither apologized to the bereaved families nor made restitution. Like a leopard, he has not changed his skin. Sylva’s inhumanity to Bayelsans is still very fresh in our memories such that Bayelsans had said in the past NEVER AGAIN will Bayelsans

allow such a cruel, mindless cultist to govern them again.

We are fully aware that Mr. Timipre Sylva bequeathed a legacy of dead weight debt to the tune of N332 billion including a N50billion bond without leaving behind any meaningful and landmark project for Bayelsans to see. In our view, this is a huge deficit in governance with massive implications and burden of responsibility for the Governor Seriake Dickson administration. The Governor Dickson administration has been defraying the heavy debt, to the detriment of the development of the State. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, recognizing the massive looting of Timipre Sylva also arraigned him on several occasion and uptil now Timipre Sylva is standing trial at the EFCC on a N19.5billion fraud case. It is now a challenge for the President Muhammed Buhari administration to prove that the war on anti-corruption is genuine. If Timipre Sylva is allowed to contest the governorship election come Dec. 5, 2015, then it would put a dent on the famed

anti-corruption crusade which Mr. President has zealously and passionately sought to fight.

We believe that on the ground of public morality, Timipre Sylva is not competent to contest any election at least for now. It offends public morality and the sensibilities of all Bayelsans. For that reason, the Coalition with its 3,000 members will join the peaceful protest against Sylva’s emergence as APC flagbearer on October 14th, 2015. The protest is designed to register our discontent of the violent manner Sylva rule the Bayelsa State and how he looted the treasury with impunity. If the monies Sylva looted cannot cry out, the souls of the innocent will shout until the proper thing is done to immortalize the deceased. We are visibly appalled that the APC and Mr. President could allow such a misadventure recognizing Your Excellency’s passion to fight corruption.

We hereby reassure the MANGROVE BOYS that this Coalition is behind every word and action taken by the group. We shall be as peaceful as possible but let it be recorded in the crowded pages of history the Mr. President and the APC allowed a man with a grubby record and a kleptocrat to contest an election, and there is war against corruption.

We would like to appeal to the conscience of other proactive, civil rights conscious NGOs, CSOs and CBOs to join in the protest. We cannot allow this brazen injustice to continue, certainly not in Bayelsa State and verily not in our time.

Thank you comrades
Mrs. Bobmanuel OSIMA
4/10/2015