Stakeholders report Bayelsa PDP state assembly candidate to CCB for receiving multiple salaries

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

Some stakeholders have dragged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) State House of Assembly candidate for Ekeremor Constituency 2, Mitin Living Ebikebena to the Code of Conduct Bureau for receiving double salaries.

Akporhona Noah and Seiyefa Captain in a petition written to CCB through their legal firm, A.O. Ishokare Esq called on the CCB to investigate their allegations that Ebikebena, an employee of the Federal Polytechnic Ekowe breached the provisions of the code of conduct for public servants.

The firm in the petition dated December 9 and received by CCB on December 19 claimed that the PDP candidate violated paragraph two part one of the fifth schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Government of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

They stated that Ebikebena had been in employment by the Federal Polytechnic, Ekeowe as an accountant since July 10, 2014, and is currently on a salary grade GL09 CONTEDISS step five.

Ishokare said: “Our clients further inform us that while still in the employ if the Federal Polytechnic Ekowe and without resigning same, the said Mitin Living Ebikebena accepted another salaried employment and was employed by the Bayelsa State Petroleum Taskforce from 2016 to 2019, as well as Bayelsa State Governor’s Special Representative, Ekeremor between 2019 and 2020.

“Mitin Living Ebikebena was also employed by the Bayelsa State Government as the Ekeremor Constituency 2 Director, Bayelsa State Centre for Youth Development from November 2020 to April 2020. He received salaries and emoluments for each of his employment from the Government of Bayelsa.

“Our clients believe that by being simultaneously employed by the federal and state governments and having received emoluments from each tier of government concurrently, Mitin Living Ebikebena, who is a public officer by virtue of paragraph 15, part two of the fifth schedule of the constitution has grossly breached the provisions of the constitution”.

Quoting part two of the fifth schedule, the petition said: “Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing paragraph, a public officer shall not receive or be paid emoluments of any public office at the same time as he receives or is paid the emoluments of any other public officer”.

The legal firm asked the CCB to exercise the powers conferred on it by the constitution to investigate the allegation and take necessary actions as provided by the law.

Investigations by our Correspondent at the Federal Polytechnic Ekeowe on Tuesday showed that Ebikenena resigned from his appointment some 10 months ago.