Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide, has hinted of a plot by disgruntled politicians to visit Bayelsa State with violence ahead of the Supreme Court review of the judgement that upturned the governorship victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa.
The IYC said desperate politicians were bent on causing chaos including a coordinated attack on oil installations in the state against the overall interest of the Ijaw nation. The IYC in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Alfred Kemepado warned against the plot and urged persons involved to sheathe their swords and give peace a chance.
Kemepado, while congratulating Senators Douye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor on their inaugurations as the governor and deputy governor of Bayelsa respectively, asked persons aggrieved with the twist of the political situation in the state to explore legal means to address their grievances.
According to him, instead of planning violence, aggrieved persons should follow democratic procedures to ensure peace and stability in the interest of the Ijaw nation. He condemned in strong terms the persons who turned a peaceful protest in Yenagoa to a violent rampage that led to the destruction and looting of property in the capital city. He called on security agencies to be on alert to nip any signs of violence in the bud before it occurs to avoid loss of lives and property. He appealed to the incumbent governor to accommodate all Ijaw people in and outside Bayelsa State irrespective of their political persuasions.
He also called on all Ijaw people especially in Bayelsa to join the new government in the task of building the state, which is the only homogeneous Ijaw state in the country.