Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has spoken on why his administration disowned George Uboh over the decision to drag the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to Court over alleged complicity in the diversion of funds recovered from the alleged money looted by former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha.

Uboh had claimed that the administration of Dickson was intimidated to withdraw from the suit filed in court against alleged unremitted Bayelsa recovered money.

But Dickson, who briefed the Nigerian Guild of Editors, in Yenagoa, said though the purported whistle blower was handed a permission to help recover money allegedly withheld from the state by the EFCC, the decision to go to court did not receive the blessings of the state government.

The governor said: “What I know is that some funds were recovered and sent through the proper channels. The diplomatic corps are part of the management of it. The Nigerian High Commission working with the British government and other foreign governments got involved through the investigative agencies and through the Attorney-General’s Office.

“It is a normal protocol and I know that my immediate predecessor received the bulk of it. I was told that he used it to lay the foundation of the Transparency Plaza which he started, of course he didn’t complete it as he didn’t complete anything.

“When we came on board, in October, we received a remittance and it was part of the transparency report for that month announced to the state and it was properly utilized for the common good. The amount we have received so far is 1,210,170 pounds.

“The story about that gentleman was that some elders from the state brought him to the Commissioner of Finance and here our eyes are always red when it comes to getting money to add to our money to spend for public good.

“He said, if you give us authorization, we will work and bring the money. The Finance Commissioner gave him an authorization letter to go and recover the money. The gentleman collected the letter and the next thing we heard, he took EFCC to court and tried to do the sort of things he is doing now to EFCC and I said no, I don’t want my government and my state to be used as a cannon folder to bring down public institutions or public officers.

“If you were mandated to recover funds, you need our express permission before you go to court. I was an Attorney-General of this state and it is the AG that will take the final decision as to whether to go to court or instruct you to do so.”

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