THE Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson’s approval of a revocation order on the sale of government-owned houses to some former commissioners and political appointees under the Timipre Sylva administration is causing a raging controversy as the action of the governor is seen as undue victimisation.
Dickson had ordered the affected former commissioners to quit the newly built houses tagged: “Commissioner Quarters” over an alleged case of illegal occupancy.
Those affected were former Commissioners for Sports, Mr. Opukiri Jones-Ere; Information and Orientation, Nathan Egba; the Presidency and Federal Capital Territory, Michael Oghiasa and Women Affairs, Gimbra Pamowei and four other serving permanent secretaries.
The evicted former commissioners, according to reports, have spent huge amounts on the renovation of the houses.
Jones-Ere and Oghiasa were worst hit as they have spent an estimated sum of over N12 million on renovation and provision of modern facilities, including a borehole.
According to the order of the state government as contained in a letter dated May 4 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Rev. T.B. Zidafamor, the former commissioners were told that the offer for the houses had been revoked and asked them to collect back their N2.3 million paid as deposit for the acquisition of the houses from a mortgage bank, Trans Atlantic, in Yenagoa.
But some of the affected commissioners were angered by the revocation and eviction order and claimed that it was unfair for the four of them to be singled out while their other colleagues, who also benefited from the house offer, were already living in their houses.
In an allocation letter to the former commissioners signed by the erstwhile Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alabo Gideon Ekeuwei, the severance pay of the four affected commissioners totaling N20 million was held back in lieu of the payment for the disputed houses.
The letter dated January 4 and titled: “Payment of Severance Allowances of Allottees at Opolo Housing Estate, Phase 2, Yenagoa, to Ministry of Housing and Urban Development” stated: “Following the allocation of official residence to the under-listed commissioners at the Opolo Housing Estate and subsequent offer of sale to them, that necessary steps be taken to effect the payment of their severance benefits of N20 million each to the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development. This will represent their initial payments for the houses allocated to them.”
