Former Chief of Staff to Bayelsa State governor, Chief Dikivie Ikiogha, on Wednesday challenged Governor Seriake Dickson to name government properties in his possession.
A report emanating from Government House, Yenagoa, accused Ikiogha, who is one of the leading All Progressive Congress governorship aspirants in the state of failing to return government properties in their possession six months after resigning from his position.
Ikiogha, a close associate of former President Goodluck Jonathan, was at the vanguard of the campaign that made Dickson the governor in 2012.
He was appointed the Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa but was later moved to the state office in Abuja.
His efforts to get the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the House of Representatives in the last general election were frustrated by the party.
He was one of the first friends of Jonathan to dump the PDP for APC with his numerous supporters in a carnival-like event held in Yenagoa.
A source from Government House who spoke in confidence said the government has ordered Ikiogha to return all properties in his possession.
He claimed that in defiance to the civil service rules, the former Chief of Staff only returned some properties but retained others in his custody.
The source said: “In accordance with the administration’s principle of transparency and accountability, the government reported the matter to the police, no public officer, after leaving office has the right to withhold government properties.
“However, instead of doing the needful by returning the remaining properties in his possession, the former Chief of staff headed for court, asking for injunction to stop police from arresting him. Ikiogha, after leaving office as the Chief of Staff, Abuja office is still having some government properties in his custody.
“It is clearly stated in the public/civil service rules that any official that is leaving the office should handover properties in his/her possessions to the most senior officer in the Ministry, Department or Agencies.
In a swift reaction, Ikiogha said there was no government properties in his possession and dared the governor to name the items.
Describing the governor as a drowning man, Ikiogha said Dickson was after him because he (the governor) was nursing fears that he would emerge as the candidate of the APC and his rival in the December 5 governorship election.
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