Communal Crisis: Diri sacks paramount ruler, chiefs
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has sacked the paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri Community in Southern Ijaw LGA, Chief Okosughe Benson Eseimokumo, following the intractable conflict in the community. Governor
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has sacked the paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri Community in Southern Ijaw LGA, Chief Okosughe Benson Eseimokumo, following the intractable conflict in the community.
Governor Diri, who spoke at an event in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital, also directed the immediate dissolution of the Ogboinbiri council of chiefs, community development committee and the youth body.
The development followed Tuesday's violent dispute that led to the loss of life and arson attacks, prompting the state government to impose a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the community.
Diri equally directed his deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Thompson Amule, to constitute an interim committee to oversee the affairs of Ogboinbiri pending the restoration of peace and security.
He charged the Commissioner of Police to ensure that all culprits directly involved in the incident be apprehended and brought to justice.
Diri explained that the state government was yet to accord Chief Eseimokumo full recognition as paramount ruler pending the resolution of the protracted conflicts in Ogboinbiri.
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His words: "Security is everyone's business. The state has been peaceful except for the unfortunate recent incident of killing and arson in Ogboinbiri community.
"I have been very patient with the Ogboinbiri community. Violent disputes had been on for about two to three years now.
“I had set up different committees to resolve the lingering conflict there to no avail. I even directed my deputy to intervene. I invited the traditional ruler and the youths to my office in Yenagoa and, yet, recently there was killing and burning of houses.
“The Commissioner of Police and all security agencies are hereby directed to ensure that all those directly involved in that dastardly act are arrested and the law must take its full course. To that extent, all youth-related bodies in Ogboinbiri are dissolved. The CDC from this day stands dissolved.
"The paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri is hereby sacked as he was yet to be recognised by the state government. I was waiting for peace to be restored for us to recognise him but, unfortunately, l am very sure he cannot hold that community together. We must say no to the evil acts in Ogboinbiri."
Diri expressed concern over violent clashes in oil producing communities arising from sharing of proceeds from oil companies operating in their areas, noting that the proceeds, which he called peanuts, could not be compared to what the oil firms benefit from such communities.
"We cannot afford to kill ourselves for pecuniary gains or for whatever reasons. Ogboinbiri is an oil producing community and l kept telling them that what they are receiving are peanuts compared to what the oil companies get from Ogboinbiri.”
