WHY SYLVA SACKED ME – EX -COMMISSIONER
Former commissioner for Housing and Urban Development in Bayelsa State, Chief Ayakew Whisky has faulted his sack by Governor Timipre Sylva declaring that he was being witch-hunted over his stand on issues affecting the South-South.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Doifie Ola in a statement announcing Whisky's sack had said he was relieved of his post because of incompetence and non-performance.
However, Whisky, in a statement issued in Yenagoa explained that Sylva's sacked him because of his involvement in the activities of the South-South elders led by Chief Edwin Clark to ensure the enthronement of constitutionalism through the National Assembly installation of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as acting-president.
According to him, Sylva is intimidated by his rising political profile and decided to fire him to frustrate his involvement in the group's activities.
Whisky maintained that the prerogative to sack any appointee solely rests with Sylva, but was quick to insist that the use of the word, incompetence, after three years as commissioner is an admission of guilt and non-performance by the Sylva administration. He explained that given the circumstances political appointees work under Sylva, his performance at the ministry should be commended.
Whisky disclosed that in the three years he spent at the ministry, he took advantage of creative efforts to engage foreign and local firms to deliver housing dividends to Bayelsans.
He said all agreements reached with reputable firms such as Agrovilla Nigeria and Housing Alliance Limited were frustrated by the Commissioner for Finance. Whisky noted that the blame for the lack of sustainable housing projects should rest squarely with the governor who failed to provide the resources for implementation of his plans. His words: 'If anyone hasevidence against me as a commissioner, he should come out with it because it is unfair for anyone to be blinded by power.
'The governor does not need to use me to test power. He doesn't need to call me names to justify my removal from office. If the use of the phrase 'incompetence and non-performance was intended to smear me and destroy my career, the purpose, I am sure is lost. If I have not performed because I don't have the resource to perform, who is to blame?'
Whisky who traced his ordeal to the condemnation of South-South governors who were working against the emergence of Jonathan as acting-president by the South-South leaders and elders noted that he owed nobody apology, neither did he have any regret over the action he took against the governors.