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For failing to prosecute Senator Duoye Diri, the Peoples Democratic Party’s Governorship Candidate in Bayelsa State over alleged non-declaration and falsification of assets, a whistleblower has threatened to sue the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) and also report the agency to Presidency Muhammadu Buhari for possible sanctions.
The Executive Director of Bayelsa Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability, who reported Diri to CCB in a September 18, 2019, petition Chief Joseph Ambakederimo, told journalists in Abuja, on Thursday, that he was uncomfortable with the levity with which the CCB had been handling the matter despite having confirmed the authenticity of his claim over a month ago.
Ambakederimo (the whistleblower) said he was surprised that the CCB has neither arrested nor prosecuted the Senator despite having summoned him and he diligently defended all the issues in the petition he sent against Senator Diri that he did not declare his assets when he was Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor between 2012 and 2013 and Principal Executive Secretary between 2013 and 2014.
The whistleblower accused CCB of deliberately sitting on his petition and expressed the fear that the agency might be trying to sabotage his earnest and patriotic desire the expose corruption and ensure that only the best candidate emerges to provide credible leadership for the state in November. A
Ambakederimo said: “I am suspecting a foul play in what CCB is doing in the case between me and Diri and I am going to court to challenge the Federal Government agency for not investigating and prosecuting the Senator despite my appearance before a two-man panel that interviewed me on the petition last month.
“President Buhari must know what is happening at the CCB regarding the said petition and I am sure he will certainly be shocked to know what is being done to the petition I wrote clearly specifying non-asset declaration and asset falsification.
The petition also states where the assets are located. Asked by journalists if he (the whistleblower) was not trying to subvert Senator Diri’s governorship ambition in favour of his preferred choice, Ambakederimo said he does not belong to any political party and was only trying to ensure good governance and accountability in the state in order to bring about the much-needed development.
Senator Diri should be held responsible for subverting his political ambition for not declaring his assets as and when due in accordance with the laws of the land and should not blame anyone else for his fate,” the director said. (Vanguard)