Assembly suspends SUBEB Executive Secretary over alleged contract scams

The Bayelsa State House Assembly has ordered the suspension of Walton Liverpool as the Executive Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board over alleged illegal award of contracts in the board.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the suspension is sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by the leader of the House, Monday Bubou Obolo, during the plenary on Wednesday.
The House also invited the Commissioner for Education, Jonathan Obuebite, Chairman and Directors of projects in SUBEB.
Others invited are members of the State Tender’s Board to appear before a Special House Committee headed by the Deputy Speaker, Abraham Ngobere, for more explanation on the contracts awarded by the suspended executive secretary.
Speaking during the plenary, Obolo alleged that the SUBEB executive secretary administered the board like a private enterprise where contracts were allegedly illegally awarded.
Obolo also alleged that board members were constantly kept in the dark without even distribution of projects to schools in the state.
He said: “We view the highhandedness of the executive secretary in running the board as fraudulent and retrogressive.
“His operations are inimical to the growth of the education sector, especially primary schools in our state.”
The House also announced the constitution of the special committee to investigate the state UBEB, with membership drawn from principal officers as well as Naomi Benjamin and Mallon Moses to unravel any fraudulent act in the board.
Meanwhile, the House had also invited the Acting Executive Secretary of the board, Pius Jonah, to appear before the next plenary of the House for screening and confirmation.
Reports say the suspended executive secretary of UBEB is married to one of the sisters of Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State.
According to reports, he had been the UBEB boss since 2012 when Dickson assumed office as the governor of the state.