ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Youths from Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have warned politicians engaged in arguments over the zoning of the Bayelsa West Senatorial seats to desist from heating up the polity.
The youths, under the aegis of Ekeremor Youths Stakeholders (EYS), warned those plotting to scuttle the zoning arrangement between Sagbama and Ekeremor LGAs to stop in their own interest or face the wrath of the people.
They insisted that it was the turn of Ekeremor to produce Senator and Sagbama to produce member of House of Representatives in 2023 in the spirit of the existing power rotation in the district, warning that they would resist any attempt to scuttle the arrangement.
The youths, who made up the stakeholders from Ekeremor LGA, in a communique issued yesterday after their meeting in Yenagoa argued that any politician with interest to contest for the National Assembly seats in Bayelsa West must honour and conform to the zoning arrangement.
In the communique read by Comrade Dimaro Fidelis after their meeting, the youths frowned at the conduct of the council chairman, Hon. Perekeme Bertola, for taunting the conventional agreement between Ekeremor and Sagbama on the zoning agreement, saying the arrangement had upheld equity and is mutually beneficial to the people.
Fidelis said: “The youths laud the outcome of the Ekeremor Elders Stakeholders’ meeting held on 22nd of July, 2021 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 dare to breach the already existing zoning arrangement between Ekeremor and Sagbama respectively.”
Also Speaking, Comrade Mitin Joseph, from Ekeremor Ward 10 and the President of the Bayelsa West Youth Movement, Comrade Edesemi Olorogun, agreed that the involvement of an Ekeremor politician in the last senatorial election did not invalidate the existing 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 they would face the wrath of the people.
Lending credence to the youths’ concern, Governor Douye Diri had threatened to sanction members of his cabinet involved in the controversy on who occupies the National Assembly seats in 2023, telling them to either resign or be sacked.
Diri had said on Wednesday that though politicians had the right to argue on issues of interest, the ongoing controversy among politicians from Ekeremor is heating up the polity and threatening to cause breakdown of law and order in the state.
Diri, while warning politicians involved in the Bayelsa West senatorial seats’ controversy, said: “I like to caution and admonish all political appointees that have started heating up the political temperature of the state, to stop forthwith or will be seriously sanctioned.”