From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has restated the ban on all activities of the Council of Chiefs and the youth council in Nembe- Bassambiri, Nembe Local Government Area.
Nembe- Bassambiri had been engulfed in an intra-communal crisis which tore apart the Council of Chiefs and the youth council forcing the Inspector -General of Police to deploy a special force to the community to arrest the situation.
The state government had also placed an indefinite suspension on all activities of the chief’s council and the youth body.
Diri who re-echoed the ban when receiving the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up to investigate the crisis in the community, called on the warring factions in the community to toe the path of peace.
Diri, who identified that the crisis in the community was more political than economic, said his administration would do everything possible to bring lasting peace to the community.
“For any one life lost, it is important to us as a people. We assure you that we will look at your recommendations and implementation will be done to the letter.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on my brothers in Nembe-Bassambiri that it is time for everybody to toe the path of peace. Peace is priceless. We cannot continuously be in a fratricidal war, fighting among ourselves.
“You can trust this government. What we want is lasting peace. With the calibre of people appointed into the committee, l am very sure that we will find the solution.”
The governor also called on the inspector General of Police to re-deploy the special forces from the community in order to restore peace.
“We all must put our hands together so that all parts of our state will be peaceful. Today, we almost have an occupying police force in Nembe-Bassambiri. A special force from the Inspector-General of Police has been there before and after last year’s governorship election.
“We are told that the force was there to bring peace and normalcy to Nembe. But Nembe was far from war before the special force arrived. I believe that there are other states in the country that need the services of the special force more than Nembe-Bassambiri today.
“l call on the Inspector-General of Police to reconsider and ensure the posting of those special forces to very troubled states where lives are lost on a daily basis so that rather than being an occupying force in Nembe-Bassambiri, they will be of more help to Nigeria.”