IduwiniVoice

By Tobouke JEMINE

Chief Oyinkuro Lucky Asanakpo, the Overseer of Bayelsa State Volunteers, has called for calm and lawful actions among the youths of Ekeremor Local Government Area who are protesting the murder of Francis Paleowei, a final-year student from Niger Delta University.

Francis, 23 years old, was a final year student of Political Science in the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, and hails from Obrigbene Community in Ekeremor LGA, was killed by a group of youths from Amassoma over a minor argument in a popular sand dump on Tuesday, 16th of July, 2024.

Asanakpo, while expressing solidarity with the protesters, urged them not to take the law into their own hands.

He assured that the government and security operatives are working to bring the culprits to justice and emphasized the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of its citizens.


Source © Bayelsa Live

IduwiniVoice


THE NEED FOR IJAWS TO STOP IN-FIGHTING AND ANTAGONISM OF SELVES: THE CASE OF NDDC, PAP AND OTHERS — COMR. WISDOM IKULI

The Ijaw Nation is one of the most blessed tribes in the world, the African continent and the Nigerian state in particular.

Beyond abundant human and natural resources, Ijaw has one of the best culture and tradition that prioritizes hospitality, harmonious and peaceful co-existence and communal lifestyle where people enjoy together and also mourn together. Ijaw has some of the best foods/delicacies especially seafoods.

Well over 65% of Nigeria’s crude oil and gas are deposited in Ijaw territories in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Edo, Ondo and Rivers States respectively. Ijaw Nation also has the longest coastline in Nigeria. We are blessed both on land and the rivers and seas. Our blessings are all round.

Billions and Trillions of Naira and Dollars of crude oil and gas wealth from Ijaw land are used to develop Lagos, Abuja and other areas while Ijaw areas remain neglected and largely underdeveloped.

It is surprising and unbelievable that Ijaws are not among the owners of Oil Blocs in the country.

While we continue to fight against injustices meted out to our great people, we also have a fair share of the blame. Our lack of Unity of Purpose, Envy, Jealousy, Hatred and Bitterness against each other are some of the factors militating against our Growth and Development.

But the greatest of our challenges is the retrogressive practice of pulling down our Ijaw people who are holding different public offices. While we urge our people in public offices to perform excellently and also deliver dividends of democracy to our great people considering post-office era, but it is important to make it abundantly clear that there is absolutely no public office holder that can solve the problems of all those who need help.

It is quite unfortunate that our people hold a very shameful and highly embarrassing title of the ‘HIGHEST PROTESTERS AGAINST THEIR PEOPLE IN PUBLIC OFFICES’.

The above is not only shameful and embarrassing, it is condemnable and unacceptable.

Nigeria is made up of over 350 distinct ethnic groups and tribes, sadly, Ijaws are renowned for always protesting against our people in public offices. While other tribes are protecting their people, Ijaws are always exposing our people. We sell them out very cheaply to outsiders to be blackmailed, scandalized, exploited and even persecuted and prosecuted.

The leadership of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) are the worst hit.

Our people do not understand that people from other ethnic groups and tribes are longing to occupy the positions that our people are privileged to occupy.

Why is it that it is only Ijaws that always protest against their people?

Is it that others who occupy the same positions that Ijaws occupy always satisfy the insatiable demands of their people and that is the reason their people do not protest against them?

We need to discourage the practice of antagonizing our people who are occupying public offices.

~~~ Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli aka Mirror and Conscience of Society.

COMR. WISDOM IKULI CALLS “FOR  THE CREATION OF ADDITIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN BAYELSA STATE AND THE CREATION OF TORU-IBE STATE OUT OF DELTA, EDO AND ONDO STATES”, WRITES IJAW LAWMAKERS IN THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

5th July, 2024.

His Excellency,
Senator Henry Seriake Dickson
Bayelsa West Senatorial District

Distinguished Senator Benson Sunday Agadaga, MON
Bayelsa East Senatorial District

Distinguished Friday Konbowei Benson
Bayelsa Central Senatorial District

Chief (Hon) Mitema Obordor
Ogbia Federal Constituency

Chief (Hon) Fred Agbedi
Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency

Chief (Hon) Oboku Oboku
Yenagoa/Kolokuma/Opokuma Federal Constituency

Hon. Marie Ebikake
Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency

Hon. Ambaiowei Rodney Ebikebina
Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency

Your Excellencies,

THE NEED TO MOVE FOR THE CREATION OF ADDITIONAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS IN BAYELSA STATE AND THE CREATION OF TORU-IBE STATE OUT OF DELTA, EDO AND ONDO STATES

I write to commend the great and very worthy works that you are all doing in the 10th National Assembly as our very outstanding representatives and to also appeal for sustenance particularly in the areas of promoting our contemporary democracy and spread of dividends.

Moving forward, I wish to call your attention to the need to move for the creation of additional Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Bayelsa State that presently has only eight(8) LGAs and to also move for the creation of Toru-Ibe State out of Delta, Edo and Ondo states respectively.

Bayelsa State which was created alongside five(5) other states by General Sani Abacha on 1st October, 1996 has only eight (8), while Ebonyi has thirty (13), Nasarawa has thirty (13), Zamfara has fourteen (14), Gombe has eleven (11) and Ekiti has sixteen (16) respectively.

Looking at the above facts, there is a huge disparity and imbalance, considering the fact that resources from the federal allocation is usually shared according to the number of local government areas per state, in addition to other numerous advantages and benefits.

Beside the above, there is need to move for the creation of Toru-Ibe State out of the present Delta, Edo and Ondo states so that Ijaws in those geographic locations can be put in one state instead of the present situation where our great people are balkanized into bits and small units in attempts to weaken and also disunite our people.

Even though state creation exercise which is detour from regionalism to stateism, which was first done by General Yakubu Jack Gowon in 1967 based on the advise and agitations of Ijaw people, Ijaw which is the fourth largest tribe in Nigeria after Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo has only one homogenous state which is Bayelsa State, while Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo have several states.

Presently, the Igbos in South East are agitating for the creation of an additional one state (Orlu State) to enable them have six (6) states like the South South (6), South West (6), North Central (6), North East (6) and the North West that has (7) geopolitical zones respectively.

There is also another movement and agitation that is led by Senator Ned Nwoko for the creation of Anioma State out of the present Delta State.

Since the inception of our contemporary democracy in 1999 till date, States and LGAs have never been created by successive administrations due to lack of Political Will to do so even though there have been several agitations for state creation. But looking at the body language of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is obvious that he is determined to effect many changes including Restructuring at the appropriate time.

It is based on the above that I humbly and passionately appeal for the commencement of this noble and laudable movement so that our great people should not be left behind or taken unaware.

While it is a collective movement by the masses and electorates and our great representatives, I feel that it shall be more effective if the process is championed by our representatives in the 10th National Assembly just like the cases of other states and tribes.

This is a task that should be done for ourselves and the unborn generations and the time is now.

Thank you Your Excellencies in anticipation of very positive actions.

Yours in the struggle for a better and more prosperous Bayelsa State and Ijaw Nation,

~~~ Most Senior Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli aka Mirror and Conscience of Society.