Diri/ Sylva In Verbal War Over Killing Of Soldiers In Okuama Community

 

By Admin

The Bayelsa State Governor,  Douye Diri andTimipre Sylva,

 the immediate past Minister for State, Petroleum and former Governor of the State on Tuesday embarked on  a verbal war over comments made by the latter over the Killing of sixteen soldiers in  Okuama a Delta community.

Timipre Sylva and the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate in the last November 11, 2023  governorship election had  knocked  politicians and particularly, the state Government for arming non state actors with guns and ammunition during the last election.

But Douye Diri had taken an exception to the comments by the former Governor noting that Sylva’s statement was akin to the proverbial pot calling the kettle black where he said  that the APC governorship candidate’s antecedents are  like  an open book known to everyone.

A statement by the Governor's Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, while condemning  Sylva’s statement said his introduction of politics into the highly condemnable killing of men in active service to their country smacks insensitivity at a time true patriots were mourning the unfortunate incident.

Sylva, had in statement credited to him and circulating on social media, claimed that “the last Bayelsa governorship election featured lots of disheartening state sponsorship of gunmen, which he credited to the act of desperation and unnecessary loss of precious Nigerian lives.”

The statement reads "I condemn in totality the killing of men of the Joint Task Force in Okuama, Delta State. This again shows why politicians should not arm irresponsible non-state actors. 

"The last Bayelsa Governorship election featured al ot of disheartening state sponsorship of gunmen. And today, we all see the result of that act of desperation and the unnecessary loss of precious Nigerian lives. My heart goes out to the families of those gallant soldiers that lost their lives.

But in a swift reaction, the Bayelsa governor wondered why the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources chose to dance on the graves of the slain soldiers in his false allusion to the use of non-state actors in the governorship poll in the state.

Diri described as ridiculous  the way   Sylva  reacted adding that he was whipping up negative sentiments and spreading falsehood over the presence of soldiers in Igbomotoru, a Bayelsa community, where the military had reportedly extended its investigation into.

The statement  reads “The military authorities should be allowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the sordid occurrence in Okuama. Comments should be restrained at this time while efforts are on to unravel the perpetrators.

“It is therefore very unfortunate and sad that  Sylva chose to play politics with the evil act of the killing of Nigerian soldiers at a time patriots in our country were outraged and mourning.

“Introducing politics into the Okuama killing is insensitive just as it is condemnable and akin to dancing on their graves. For those who know, this is like the pot calling the kettle black.

“However, Sylva’s unending bellyaching and whining over the 2023 Bayelsa governorship election does not change the fact that it has been won and lost. He and his ilk should embrace this reality and join hands with our government to further the development of our state.