Posted by By Ise-Oluwa Ige on
BAYELSA State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Talford Ongolo yesterday disclosed that the detention in United Kingdom of the state sitting governor, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha over money-laundering offences is now affecting governance in the state.
ABUJA - BAYELSA State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Talford Ongolo yesterday disclosed that the detention in United Kingdom of the state sitting governor, Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha over money-laundering offences is now affecting governance in the state.
But he quickly clarified that his absence from the state could not paralyse government activities.
The embattled governor who was arrested about two weeks ago was Wednesday remanded in prison custody by a British Court following his arraignment for laundering 1.8 million ponds found in cash and in bank accounts.
He will be there till October 6 when the case resumes.
The governor was denied bail because the magistrate feared he might leave the UK as did Governor Joshua Dariye last year.
Ongolo who spoke to newsmen yesterday in Abuja on the travails of his governor started the interview thus amidst smile and laughter: "there is nothing to add, eh eh, eh. You want to put me on tape, eh, eh, eh. I said no, hold on the line. You are my brothers now.
But when newsmen would not leave him alone and boxed him to a corner wanting to know what the Bayelsa government was doing to get its detained governor released and the security situation therein, he said: "yes, we are following the due process. Bayelsa State is peaceful, fine. Government and private businesses are going on normally. The wish of the governor is that they should maintain peace. That the people of Bayelsa State should remain calm and maintain peace while we follow due process into seeking redress. There is nothing strange happening," he said.
Added he: "You can see, as Attorney-General of the state, am I not in court to represent Bayelsa State?. People are doing their job. That is the truth.
Asked whether the absence of the governor would not affect governance, he said: "government is not a matter of an individual. It involves the whole system. No doubt, in the absence of an executive governor who is the sole repository of executive powers, I mean when the governor is absent, it affects some business of government.
"But basically, even in the absence of a governor, activities of government will still be going on. That is what is happening in Bayelsa State. You can see now, the state governor is not around, but here I am representing Bayelsa State government," he added.
Lagos Attorney-General, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) however refused to be dragged into discussing the travails of the embattled governor, the legality of his arrest, his trial outside jurisdiction notwithstanding his constitutional and diplomatic immunity.
He specifically said that he was yet to form any view on the matter, saying that he would need to be kept abreast of the facts of the case before he could give any comment on the matter.