Bayelsa Guber: INC Calls On Political Actors To Shun Politics Of Bitterness.

 

As the November 11 Governorship Election approaches, the Ijaw National Congress has called on the Ijaw Nation and  political gladiators involved in the incoming election  to play by the rule and  shelve every form of political bitterness.

 This was as INC called on the relevant stakeholders from Nembe to make sure that the crisis rocking Opu Nembe currently is resolved amicably before the November 11 election.

Speaking on Saturday in Yenagoa during a press briefing, the president of Ijaw National Congress, Professor Benjamin Okaba advised all the candidates not to hoodwink anybody to vote against his or her consciences maintaining that all the candidates especially the major political parties are well known persons in Bayelsa and the election should be about capacity and not sentiments.

 Supporting the curfew recently imposed on the community by the state government, INC also called on those he said that brought in SWAT to Opu Nembe to call them out of the community and allow legitimate policemen to carry out the responsibility of maintaining peace adding that the community is already deserted because of the presence of the Police.

He said “We want to use this opportunity to call on Ijaw people to remove ourselves from the politics of bitterness. It is obvious that the current Nembe issue has both community, chieftaincy, political and economic undertones and as INC, we are not here to blame anybody because we are for everybody, our interest is about the enthronement of peace.

“We are calling on critical stakeholders in Nembe, friends of Nembe to work together to bring peace back to that place. If nothing is done, Nembe will remain deserted and communities around Nembe will begin to feel the impact. It is a clarion call for action to our politicians, let us distance ourselves from politics of bitterness.

“For us, the November 11 election should be about capacity to deliver.  Sentiments including party divide should not play any role because these major gladiators, Labor Party, PDP and APC candidates are well known figures. We know their capacities and we should vote based on their capacities. Nobody should be prevented from expressing himself.

“We have gone beyond that stage of writing results, throwing people asunder and all that. That will not work. Ijaw nation is too matured for that. Bayelsans have gained too much consciousness to be allowed to be used and for our youths, let us try to be civil and know that there won’t  be any form of development where there is no peace. The interest should be the interest of Ijaw nation, whoever that has any interest that is considered more important than that of Ijaw nation is an enemy of the Ijaw nation

“The Nembe Basambiri axis is under siege, the Ijaw nation has once again been desecrated. Blood has been spilt, our land contaminated. This community before on the 12th of August was peaceful and we know to a large extent some other events that took place there then, the palpable peace in the community but as result of the invasion, what we have in Nembe right now is fear, uncertainties and if these issues are not properly addressed and urgently too, we fear that it might escalate by way of spreading to other communities.

“It is important to also know that based on some discoveries, there have been a trend since 2015 which was repeated in 2019 where a particular set of individuals will chase some persons out of town when it is close to elections. And the reasons for this cannot be farfetched. We also fear that if we don’t restore peace into that community by providing an atmosphere where people  of all divide can  return back and resume their normal socio economic and political activities unhindered, the present uncertainties might escalate to a point where nobody can control.

“By the police own record, the operation was said to be very successful and the targets met with the arrest of some youths  but despite the claim of success, the SWAT team  has now taken a permanent  abode in Opu Nembe. The question begging for answer is why has the Police refused to withdraw its operatives from the community? Could it be true that the police have become an agent of some individuals and politicians for the impending governorship election in Bayelsa Sate?

 “Many persons are getting worried  with the continuous staying of these operatives particularly with the reason that a lot of persons who have left the community have vowed not to return because of harassment.  As we speak, if you go to Opu Nembe, it’s like the police operatives outnumber the population.

“If they are saying that the operation was successful and if arrest have been made, why not go ahead prosecuting them and we also need to bear in mind that the alarm that was raised that necessitated  the invasion has been investigated thoroughly and from the reports that were given at the security council meeting  of Bayelsa State where I was privileged to attend, it was discovered  that the alarm was a false alarm and claim to the fact that no life was lost by the earlier information given to the public was false and the claim that no life was lost was also false. Infact they recorded about six deaths with many missing.

“As INC, we endorse the resolutions made by the state Security Council which includes a curfew, investigations to as many persons that are involved and they should be  brought brought to book.