The Auctioneer Association of Nigeria , Bayelsà State Chapter has petitioned the Chairman of the State Environmental Sanitation Authority , Timothy Diekivie before the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) over alleged violation of the State Public Procurement (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Act.
The Auctioneers, in the petition written on their behalf by a legal practitioner and consultant, Gibson Esowa & Co, complained of the alleged involvement of the State Sanitation Boss in the alleged illegal sale/disposal of Government metal scrap items which are supposed to be subject to public auction in line with the public procurement Act.
According to the petition dated 1st of October,2026 and addressed to the EFCC and copied the office of the Secretary to Government (SSG) and the State Commissioner of Police, said the action of the sanitation boss violates one of the procedures laid down for the auctioning of the state owned scrap materials and assets.
They stated that one of the procedure include the identification and evaluation of the said properties sought to be disposed, publication to the public to create the requisite awareness of the imminent sale/auction of those items after due approval from the office of the Secretary to the State Government for evaluation and the organised auction/disposal of such scrap through the instrumentality of the Auctioneer Association of Nigeria in the bidding and sale of the Government unwanted scrap within the state and after which a 10 per cent commission rates are paid to the State chapter of Auctioneer Association.
But after close investigation, the Auctioneers Association in Bayelsà discovered that the State Chairman of the Environmental Sanitation Authory, Timothy Diekivie has allegedly hijacked the role of the association and have allegedly being organising illegal sale of some Government scraps which is a sheer and frantic departure/violation of the tenets and salient provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
According to the petition, ” the Sanitation authority chairman started his illegal activities with the issuance of a letter dated 7th day of October,2025 for the purposes evacuation of all metal scraps items from the state including Old Gas Turbine parts and other abandoned waste claiming to follow the State government directive.”
“It is interesting to note that after the purported evacuation, the Environmental Sanitation boss in collaboration with one Mr. Daw Obote, a staff of the State Ministry of environment began privately selling off same to some agents without approval from the State Government or complying with the due process of the professional auctioneers in the auctioning rules and guidelines.”
It was gathered that the State Police Command under CP Idu had ordered the arrest of about Nine person last year over the discovery that they had loaded six truck load of vandalised parts of a turbine kept at the old premises of the State Plastic Industry.
Police operatives later released the suspects from custody based on the alleged intervention of the state sanitation boss, who purportedly boasted of being “untouchable” and have state government power backing.
Sources has however debunked such claims saying that the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri,had warned the Stat Eviromental Sanitation boss against dropping his name while engaging in shady or illegal dealings.
However the leadership of the State Auctioneer Association, in the petition, called on the EFCC, the Police and the State Government through the office of the SSG to call for the immediate restoration of all items already disposed and an immediate total refund/reversal of the equivalent monetary value of items,inclusive of the 10 per cent commission rate accurate to the Auctioneer Association.
” Am issuance of order for him to cease and desist in respect to the items situated at Swali town,Yenagoa,Bayelsà State and an arrest, investigation and prosecution of the State Environmental Sanitation boss.”
They also threatened to drag the State Sanitation before a competent of Justice to seek redress and ensure public action against his alleged violation of the State Public Procurement (Repeal and Re-Enactment) Act.
Attempts to get the reaction of the Chairman of the State Environmental Sanitation Authority , Timothy Diekivie however proved difficult but an associate who pleased anonymity, dismissed the claims if the Association of Auctioneers, “saying these claims are false and untrue”
