Former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, believes that President Goodluck Jonathan is the unseen hand behind his travails and has said so openly to friends and associates.

“He called me on phone and wondered whether he has committed an unforgivable sin against President Jonathan,” said a friend of Sylva who spoke with News Express. “He holds Jonathan responsible for his travails in the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”

The source said Sylva got on the line following reports yesterday that the EFCC had seized 48 choice property allegedly belonging to him for alleged misappropriation of N6.46 billion state funds when he was governor of the state.

“It is all propaganda,” the source, who asked not to be named, said, adding: “The EFCC is just playing to the gallery. Some of those property are not owned by Sylva while some that are his were acquired before he became governor and were duly declared as he was taking office.”

The source said Sylva believes that he is paying the price for his alleged opposition to Jonathan’s presidential ambition. Prior to his sudden removal last January, Sylva, who succeeded Jonathan as Bayelsa governor in May 2007 but later fell out with him, was branded a security risk after being accused of threatening to kill the President.

“Everybody still remembers how Sylva was hounded out of office last year by President Jonathan over what could be regarded as sibling rivalry,” said the source. “Has Jonathan not taken enough pound of flesh from his estranged Ijaw brother? This is a man who has not summoned enough courage to publicly declare his assets, yet he has the effrontery to set the EFCC after someone who declared his assets as required by law.”

The source made weighty allegations against Jonthan but News Express is still waiting for the response of presidential spokesman Dr. Doyin Okupe, who is said to be abroad and was contacted by e-mail yesterday.

•Photo: Ex-Governor Sylva.