Identity theft: Ex-Petroleum Minister, Sylva not eligible to run for Bayelsa Gov’ship, says civic group

OBIORA IFOH, Abuja

The Citizens Initiative for Better Nigeria (CIBN), a civic group, has stated that Chief Timipre Sylva, former governor and minister, is not eligible to run for the governorship poll for allegedly committing acts bordering on identity theft.

The group which accused the former Governor of Bayelsa State of impersonation, forgery of academic documents and giving false evidences also demanded his prosecution by the Nigeria Police Force and other law enforcement agency.

This was made known during a world press conference held on Thursday in Abuja, stressing that the former Minister of State for Petroleum, who has always held himself as “Timipre Sylva” doesn’t have a valid name that is known to law or recognised by any government agencies.

Comrade Kabiru Matazu, Chief Convener, CIBN in his statement affirmed that it was completely illegal for anyone who did not have a valid recognised name to occupy any public or private office in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said Sylva’s attempt to go back as governor so that he could have immunity over all the atrocities he had committed will not help him.

The statement reads in part; “As you may recall, our Citizens Initiative for Better Nigeria (CIBN) has been trying since last year to uncover the true identity of the man called CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA who recently resigned as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Federal Republic of Nigeria to contest the forthcoming Bayelsa State Governorship Election.

“During the week, we got information that Comrade Timi Frank being also a Bayelsa State indigene and Political Activist, Anti-Corruption Crusader, Public Commentator and former Deputy Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has engaged the law firm of Graylaw Practice LP based in Abuja to author petitions and Freedom of Information letters to various agencies on this subject matter.

“The petitions and letters which we obtained and will make available to the media were dated 31st March 2023 and addressed to the Lagos State Ministry of Education, West African Examinations Council (WAEC), University of Port Harcourt, Inspector-General of Police, Department of State Services, Code of Conduct Bureau, amongst other agencies.

“In his usual way of fighting corruption, Comrade Timi Frank through his lawyers is requesting the schools purportedly attended by Chief Timipre Sylva between 1976 till 2011 to verify whether the certificates bearing different names being paraded by Chief Timipre Sylva belong to him or were stolen from third parties.

“We wish to put on record that Chief Timipre Sylva holds a First School Leaving Certificate with No. 092915 dated 1st July 1976 issued to ANAGHA TIMIPERE who finished from Ajeromi Central IA School, Araromi-Apapa, Lagos State. Also, he claims to hold a West African Examination Council (WAEC) General Certificate of Education with Certificate No. PO851528 and Candidate No. 21735215 dated December 1981 issued to MARLIN ANAGHA TIMIPRE.

“The man Sylva equally parades a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English with Second Class Honours (Upper Division) from the University of Port Harcourt dated 19th August 1986 issued to ANAGHA TIMIPRE MARLIN. Finally, he holds a Doctorate Degree in International Relations (Honoris Causa) from the University of Business and International Studies (UBIS) based in Geneva, Switzerland dated 22nd September 2011 and issued to Chief Timipre Sylva.

“It is in the public domain that CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA intentionally presented the above-mentioned inconsistent academic certificates before the Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Screening Committee in 2008 and the National Assembly in 2019 under oath for purposes of screening into the position of Governor of Bayelsa State and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, respectively.

“Obviously, the action of Chief Timipre Sylva by using conflicting academic certificates to attain public offices is illegal, fraudulent and ought to be sanctioned by law enforcement agencies.

“We are aware that in a bid to launder his image and escape the long arms of the laws, Chief Timipre Sylva has concocted a Deed Poll and Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette dated 11th and 12th May 2022 to cover up his alleged offences.

“In those documents, Sylva attempted; albeit belatedly to make the general public believe that the manifestly conflicting names ANAGHA TIMIPERE, MARLIN ANAGHA TIMIPRE, ANAGHA TIMIPRE MARLIN and CHIEF TIMIPRE SYLVA appearing on the academic certificates he has been parading for decades all belong to him.

“One now begins to wonder if the said Deed Poll and Official Gazette are not mere pieces of paper fraudulently procured by Sylva to mislead people and wriggle himself out of being prosecuted and jailed. The questions we are asking are; why did Timipre Sylva wait until May 2022 before regularizing his so-called “names” after he had used them to confer undue advantage on himself?”

“We dare the immediate “past Minister” to debunk this claim with his valid name on his birth certificate. The fact that he doesn’t have a name cannot be overemphasized hence a nameless individual ought not to be entitled to any title of any kind including the “MR” or HIS EXCELLENCY title.

“It is completely illegal for anyone who doesn’t have a valid recognized name to occupy any public or private office in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Let it be known to Sylva that his attempt to go back as Governor so that he can have immunity over all the atrocities he has committed will not help him. It is high time he makes himself available for questioning over how he alone could possess four different academic certificates,” the statement added

For a better society

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