Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has appointed a former militant leader, Africanus Ukparasia as the Caretaker of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council.
He replaces Kia Nigeria, who was recently sworn-in as a commissioner.
Ukparasia was one of the militant leaders who embraced the Federal Government’s amnesty programme in 2008, and later joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) before his defection to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), after he fell out with former governor Timipre Sylva.
His name was submitted to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, along with Sunny Erewari (Nembe), Ebinyon Turner (Ogbia), who served as the vice chairman of the council, Tolumoye Ibani Bikikoro (Kolokuma/Opokuma) and Austin Sambo (Yenagoa).
The trio of Magbisa Micheal (Sagbama), Tolu Amatu (Ekeremor) and Victor Isiah (Brass), however, retained their positions.
The House of Assembly, during its plenary, urged the new council bosses be committed to the ideas of the Dickson administration, especially in the provision of dividends of democracy to the rural areas.