Rejoinder: How Timi Alaibe Shared N45bn under the Guise of Crafting a Master Plan
My attention was drawn to the above article yesterday by a concerned Bayelsan. I became interested in it until I saw the author, a self acclaimed philosopher Mr. John Idumange. The name John Idumange leaves a bitter taste of disgust in the mind of every Bayelsan because, his antics are well known and no one can ever take him seriously any longer. Many of us know who commissioned him and when. We also know an interesting aspect of his personality that he can turn 360 degrees any day he gets a higher bidder. But such falsehood can confuse unsuspecting Baylesans especially when it is published in an electronic news medium. And so I decided to respond to set the records straight at least for the benefit of those Bayelsans at home or in the Diaspora who do not yet know author. Though it will be my wish, I have never met Mr Ndutimi Alaibe in person, I have chosen to offer this response from an archived empirical research I undertook as a concerned citizen and stakeholder.
When President Obasanjo appointed Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe as the pioneer Executive Director Finance and Administration at the NDDC, he invited many Bayelsans to work with him. John Idumange was among those that Alaibe assisted into NDDC. All other people who came in with Mr. Idumange are occupying management positions today but John is back to the streets . His problem with NDDC management started when it was discovered that Mr. Idumange could not back up his doubtful qualifications with requisite certificates and displays traits of a suspiciously eccentric personality. He abandoned his duty post for several months and was fraudulently drawing salaries from the Commission. When it was confirmed that he was mentally unstable, the commission summarily dismissed him. Since then, Mr Idumange crossed over to the wrong side of history when he resumed a smear campaign on the person of Alaibe.
In an obvious haste to do the bidding of his paymasters, John made several blunders and clearly exposed the evil intensions behind his motives. It is on record that its was former President Obasanjo himself who specifically requested that the master plan be produced as a basis for a coordinated intervention in the Niger Delta region. Again as a statutory commission, all decisions of the NDDC were ratified by the board. The Executive Director Finance and Administration could only release money only when directed to do so by the board. And so where lies the logic in the claim by Idumange that Alaibe could siphon billions of naira money without the approval of the board? Or was he implying that the former NDDC board members were accomplices? Another falsehood in John's malicious article is that the master plan was never published. Contrary to this, I have a copy of the published master plan in my library alongside proceedings of the stakeholder meetings conducted in the communities. Other materials published include a comprehensive list of all the contractors and consultants who worked on the master plan project. A closer look at the list will reveal that beneficiaries of the contracts include Dr. Edmund Maduabebe Daukoru who led GTZ /Wilbahi Consortium, Arch Harcout Adukeh who led Norman and Daubarn Consortium and Mr Timipre Sylva who led Sylvaski Nigeria Limited. Was John Idumange further implying that these prominent Baylesans from Nembe Kingdom were also conduit pipes through whom 45 billion leaked away unnoticed from NDDC coffers?
Nothing can be more laughable than the inclusion of our brother and former Presidential aspirant under the National Conscience Party, Atei Beredugo in a manner which was calculated to present his as corrupt. Atei's record during his tenure in NDDC speaks for itself. As an indigene of Nembe, Atei himself tried to plead with NDDC Management on behalf of John Idumange when it became clear that Johns mental instability was interfering with his duties in the commission.
Many Bayelsans know what Alaibe's real 'sins' are. They are not in anyway related to corruption and embezzlement as being canvassed by John in his distorted prose. In fact Alaibe left billions of naira behind when he left the commission. No public officer in Nigeria has yet beaten that record till date. He steered the amnesty program from a turbulent beginning to a comfortable cruising altitude. The real 'sin' Alaibe committed is that he heeded the call of numerous Bayelsa elders to lead the crusade for change and rescue our state from the claws of corrupt and inept leadership.
In addition while it may not be right to make comparisons yet but the stories we hear about the incumbent NDDC board leaves intelligent observers to draw their own conclusions on Alaibe's tenure. Those who commissioned John know these facts and that is why they have persuaded him to aggregate lies and feed the unsuspecting public with a view to diverting their attention from the urgent issues on ground. This is not the first time that Idumange has been paid to preach a doomsday gospel. He did same on the amnesty program and today he and his paymasters are hiding their faces in shame. The amnesty program is an overwhelming success and a confirmation of Alaibe's competence and ability to turn things around. This is the same skills that will lead change in Bayelsa State.
Mr. Timpre Sylva has turned Bayelsa State into a classical paradox of plenty and an impoverished ghetto of misery and discontent. From Sagbama to Ekeremor,from Opokuma/Kolokuma to Southern Ijaw and from Ogbia to Nembe/Brass and Yenagoa, Bayelsans are seeking for change. Sylva's battle to retain the status quo will fail. No matter how far he takes his death dance,the voice of people will triumph in April and Bayelsa State will be restored from ignominy to glory!
By Com. Abel Henchard, who lives and works in Yenagoa. He can be contacted on