ANGRY APC LAWMAKER DRAGS BAYELSA SPEAKER, 3 OTHERS TO EFCC ON FINANCIAL CRIMES - By Evans Tubonah

Hon. Israel Sunny Goli
Hon, Member Representing Brass
Constituency 1, Bayelsa State Assembly 

"It has become very urgent to checkmate this untoward financial recklessness being perpetrated against our client, you are therefore invited to use your good offices to properly investigate this matter with a view to bring the perpetrators to justice"
This is just a section of petition written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] against the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Kombowei Benson and three other key officers of the State's Parliament by the Honorable Member Representing Brass Constituency 1  Hon. Israel Sunny Goli.
In the petition signed by the legal counsel to the coastal member of the Assembly, Ochu Chukuma Esq. calls  the attention of the anti-graft agency to a chain of financial irregularities and sharp practices allegedly perpetrated against the petitioner to the tune of over One billion Naira [N1bn].  Ochu Chukuma Esq. who listed the names of the Speaker:
*Hon. Kombowei Benson,  the Clerk of the House:
*Mr. Aaron Timiye, the Head of Accounts department
*Mr. Koroye and former Head of Accounts
*Mr. Thompson Tamaradubo states thus:
"It is pertinent to state that from 2015 till date the Speaker of the House of Assembly and his co-travelers in the disastrous financial misadventure had refused to pay his furniture allowance but appropriated the same for themselves. Sometimes in 2016 our client was deliberately left out of an approved trip of all members of the Assembly to attend the Commonwealth Parliamentary Assembly at Mauritius. While every member of the Assembly was paid, our client was refused payment and consequently the trip. The approved money ... was withdrawn and spent by the persons mentioned."
The legal counsel wrote thus:

Hon. Kombowei Benson
Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly

"Sir,it is of paramount importance to state that the approved sum of money for members constituency tour during the annual assembly recess which money is usually paid to members' salaries accounts has never been paid to our client. This money was paid to the other members from the Assembly Sterling Bank and that of our client have been embezzled jointly by the aforementioned persons."
The petitioner went further to allege saying:
"While in June 2018, the approved N8,000,000.00 [Eight Million Naira] only usually paid as Constituency Office maintenance allowance to members was transferred from the
Assembly Sterling Bank Account to the Assembly Zenith Bank Account and paid to all the other members salaries accounts except that of our client. Most worrisome, Sir, within this month of August, 2018 our client was paid the sum of [Ten Million Naira] only as constituency Tour Allowance for annual Assembly recess.This money was consequently and surreptitiously reversed from our client's salary account on the request of the Accountant acting supposedly on the orders of the speaker of the Assembly.."
As a result of the development Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, according to the petition had approached the Speaker why he was denied his financial entitlements and privileges as a Law Maker at the state Assembly for so long, the Speaker was said to have linked the matter to what he called "Order from above":

" These acts and many more have been going on in the Assembly from inception and our client have drawn the attention of the Speaker to the anomalies but the same and all efforts by our client has been rebuffed without remedy, the Speaker citing "Order from above."  Consequent upon these issues raised, the petitioner had called on the EFCC to step in for investigations without further delay with a view to bringing offenders to face the law, hear this:
" It has become very urgent to checkmate this untoward financial recklessness being perpetrated against our client, you are therefore invited to use your good offices to properly investigate this matter with a view to bring the perpetrators to justice."
Meanwhile the Assembly had not reacted to the petition, all efforts to contact the Office of the Speaker for comment has not been successful.