Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government has ordered the suspension of all meetings involving the Community Development Committee, Council of Chiefs, Youth and Women’s Groups of Otuogori Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of State.
He also ordered the state police commissioner, Mr. Ben Okolo, to deploy riot police officers to the community as part of measures to prevent the breakdown of law and order in the area.
These guidelines were given by the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, during a meeting with some stakeholders from the Otuogori community at Government House, Yenagoa.
In a statement issued Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor for Media, Mr. Doubara Atasi, Senator Ewhrudjakpo warned that under no circumstances should any person or group of people tamper with Otuogori’s bank accounts. until normalcy is fully restored. in the community.
Therefore, the state government has formed a seven-man Conflict Resolution Committee to look into the escalating leadership crisis in the Otuogori community.
The committee, which is chaired by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Biriyai Dambo (SAN), is to examine the immediate and distant causes of the leadership struggle, make recommendations and submit its findings to the government within a deadline. two weeks. .
Speaking shortly after the establishment of the Committee, Senator Ewhrudjakpo reiterated that the government will not tolerate actions that would destroy the prevailing peace in any part of the state.
He stressed the need for communities to be guided by the provisions of the Chieftaincy of State Act on the succession or election of their supreme leaders to avoid the wrath of the government.
Ewhrudjakpo, who urged the people to embrace love and peace, warned that henceforth no one should run as a supreme leader or chairman of CDC of the Otuogori community until a new leadership is duly instituted .
His words: “Don’t let chieftaincy issues tear your community apart. As a government, we will not allow any crisis in any community. Everything that has happened in your community lately and even here is illegality upon illegality.
“The role of the CDCs and that of the Councils of Chiefs is clearly defined in the Bayelsa State Chieftaincy Act. No one should mix the two.
“Everyone should live in peace in this community (Otuogori) until the committee completes its work and we all work together to put in place a new direction.”
Members of the seven-man committee included the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development, Mr Thompson Amule; the State Commissioner of Police, CP. Nebolisa Ben Okolo, and the Chairman of Ogbia Local Government Area, Mr. Ebinyon Turner.
Others are the Governor’s Special Security Advisor, CP. Akpoebi Agberebi (Rtd.), the Technical Advisor on Chieftaincy Issues, Mr. Douye Naingba as well as the Technical Advisor on Conflict Resolution, Mr. Boma Spero-Jack.
