Diri, youths warn politicians against heating up polity

By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and youths from Ekeremor Local Government have warned politicians engaged in arguments over the zoning of the Bayelsa West Senatorial seats, to desist from heating up the polity.

He threatened to sanction members of his executive council (exco) involved in the controversy of who occupies the National Assembly seats in 2023, telling them to either resign or be sacked.

The youths under the aegis of Ekeremor Youths Stakeholders (EYS), warned those plotting to scuttle the zoning arrangement between Sagbama and Ekeremor local governments to stop, in their own interest, or face the wrath of the people.

They said it is the turn of Ekeremor to produce the senator and Sagbama to produce member of House of Representative in 2023, in the spirit of the existing power rotation in the district, adding that they will resist any attempt to scuttle the arrangement.

The youth comprising stakeholders from Ekeremor Council, in a communiqué yesterday after their meeting in Yenagoa, said any politician interested in contesting the National Assembly seats in Bayelsa West must honour and conform to the zoning arrangement.

In the communiqué read by Mr. Dimaro Fidelis, after their meeting, the youth decried the conduct of the council Chairman, Perekeme Bertola, by taunting the conventional agreement between Ekeremor and Sagbama on the zoning agreement, saying the arrangement had upheld equity and was mutually beneficial to the people.

Fidelis said: “The youth laud the outcome of the Ekeremor Elders Stakeholders’ meeting held on July 22, where they resolved to respect the zoning agreement and called on politicians from Bayelsa West to honour and consolidate the zoning agreement.

“Youth stakeholders from Ekeremor agree and vow to resist any political leader from Bayelsa West who dares to breach the existing zoning arrangement between Ekeremor and Sagbama.”

Mr. Mitin Joseph from Ekeremor Ward 10 and the President of the Bayelsa West Youth Movement, Mr. Edesemi Olorogun, agreed that the involvement of an Ekeremor politician in the last senatorial election did not invalidate the zoning arrangement.

They insisted on zoning and warned those people, who rode on the back of zoning to go to the National Assembly, to stop causing confusion in the area or else they would face the wrath of the people.

Lending credence to the youths’ concern, Diri said although politicians have a right to argue on issues of interest, the ongoing controversy among politicians from Ekeremor is heating up the polity and threatening to cause a breakdown of law and order.

He warned politicians involved in the Bayelsa West seats’ controversy, saying: “I like to caution and admonish political appointees that have started heating up the political temperature of the state to stop forthwith, or else they will be  sanctioned.”