Bayelsa govt orders APC to vacate secretariat

The crisis rocking the Bayelsa State chapter of the All
Progressives Congress is still far from being over, as the state government has
asked the party to vacate its secretariat located along Melford Okilo Expressway,
Kpansia, Yenaoga.

The order to vacate the secretariat came barely a few days
after the National Executive Committee of the APC expelled the Bayelsa State
Chairman of the party, Chief Tiwei Orunimighe; his deputy, Eddy Julius, and the
Secretary, Marlin Daniel, from the party.

Before the expulsion, the state chapter of the APC had been
enmeshed in a lingering crisis between factions loyal to the party leader and a
former governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, and those of Orunimighe.

Speaking at a news conference in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State
capital on Friday, the Solicitor-General of the state and Permanent Secretary
of the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Preye Ageda, said the state government acquired
the said property (secretariat) in 2010 from one Chief Ipigansi Izagora.

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Ageda said, “In 2010, the Bayelsa State Government acquired
a property belonging to Chief Ipigansi Izagara along Chief Melford Okilo
Expressway, Kpansia-Epie, Yenagoa, as a Government Guest House.

”The assessment, valuation and discussions towards the
acquisition of the property were handled by the Executive Secretary of the
Capital City Development Authority, the then Commissioner for Finance, Dr.
Opuala Charles, and a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva.

“The property was duly paid for and the government took
possession of the property as owner and the keys were handed over to the state
government by Chief Ipigansi Izagara.

“Thereafter, the property was rehabilitated by Gefesco Enterprises
Nigeria Limited for a total sum of N43m of which the final payment of N23m was
made by the current administration after an initial payment of N20m by its
predecessor.”