2007: Whose Turn in Bayelsa?
In Bayelsa, the race to the Government House in 2007 is removed down to between Bayelsa East and Bayelsa West. Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha is from Bayelsa Central, which will have completed eight-year tenure. The battle for positioning ahead off time has begun. It is a race, that may either redress or deepen past sense discrimination and deprivation, John Iwori writes in Yenagoa.
To many Nigerians, especially those outside the oil and gas rich Niger Delta, the Ijaw, is a homogenous ethnic group. They are one in language, culture and tradition and these are discernible whenever and wherever they gather in their numbers.Nevertheless, when it involves politics where contending interest is at play, the claim of oneness irrespective of place of origin will fall flat like egg thrown on the rock. Though they are spread across seven states in the federation and beyond, especially along the coast, including Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Cross Rivers and Ondo States, it is only Bayelsa they regard as their home.
Created October 1, 1996 by the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Bayelsa State which prides itself as the glory of all lands has only eight local government areas, two short of the 10 constitutional.
This explained why Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha made history in his first tenure of office as the first chief state executive to create additional local government areas.
Divided into three senatorial districts, namely Bayelsa East (Nembe, Ogbia, Brass Local Government Areas), Bayelsa West (Ekeremor and Sagbama Local Government Areas) and Bayelsa Centralo (Yenagoa, Southern Ijaw and Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Areas), agitations for plum political offices have not ebbed with the election of Governor Alamieyeseigha as the first son of the soil to rule the state.
The retired military officer, turned politician who hails from Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area second consecutive tenure will elapse in 2007. However agitation on which local government area nay, senatorial district that would take over from the man many fondly call the governor-general of the Ijaw nation has started.
While Alamieyeseigha's Bayelsa Central is totally out of the equation, the two other senatorial districts have not failed to use every opportunity to tell whoever that cares to listen that it is their turn to produce the next number one citizen in the state.
His Royal Highness, King Alfred Diete Spiff, the Amayananabo of Twon Brass and Chief Melford Obiene Okilo were former governors of old Rivers State. While Spiff was the first military governor of old Rivers State, Okilo who was in the immediate past National Assembly as a senator was elected civilian governor in the defunct Second Republic under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). While Spiff hails from Twon Brass in Brass Local Government Area, Okilo is a native of Emakalakala in Ogbia Local Government Area. They are all from Bayelsa East senatorial disctrict. And this is the bedrock of the agitation and fears ahead of the 2007 governorship election in the state.
Though the election is far away, the fight for the plum job has started in earnest in the state. Of the two senatorial districts in contention for the number one seat, Bayelsa West, however, says that more than any other district, it is its turn to produce the next governor. A spokesman of the district, Hon. Ofoni Williams told THISDAY during the recently that Bayelsa West ought to produce the governor of the wealthy state in 2007.
His reasons: "Bayelsa West is the only senatorial district that has not produced a governor. If you look at it very carefully, Bayelsa East senatorial district has produced Chief Melford Okilo, HRM Alfred Diete Spiff and the present deputy governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Again, the incumbent governor, Alamieyeseigha is from the Bayelsa Central Senatorial district and by 2007 he must have ruled for eight solid years. Bayelsa East senatorial district would have ruled for 21 years.
"But no single person from Bayelsa West has ruled Bayelsa State for even one day. It is unfair. Therefore it should be given an opportunity to produce the next governor because they are part and parcel of Bayelsa State. And they are Izon people. They are not slaves to any other senatorial district. Besides, Bayelsa West is the only senatorial district that is not benefiting from the Governors Pension Law 2003. Spiff, Okilo, Jonathan and Alamieyeseigha are beneficiaries. Going by the provisions of the Governors Pension Law 2003, Bayelsa West has no single beneficiary because it is yet to produce a governor."
Williams who is a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, representing Sagbama Constituency III contended that it would amount to hypocrisy, if what he described as "internal inequality and oppression" was not addressed by making Bayelsa West to produce the next governor of the state.
According to him, "the people of senatorial district are only remembered when it comes to voting but regarded as "strangers and minorities" when it comes to choosing those to man key political positions in the state.
His words: "we are called Bendelites or Deltans whenever it comes to the issue of occupying the highest political position in the state. They regard us as strangers and minorities because unlike the two other senatorial districts, Bayelsa West is made up of only two councils, Sagbama and Ekeremor. But the fact of the matter is that since 1976 when the boundary adjustment of old Rivers State was effected by the Federal Government, we were made part and parcel of it before the creation of Bayelsa State in 1996".
The arguments of Williams notwithstanding, THISDAY checks reveal that it will be a herculean task for anybody from his district to be given the opportunity to govern the state. Feelers at the PDP secretariat at Yenezue-gene, a suburb of the state capital, Yenagoa indicate that the ruling party is yet to take a decision on which senatorial district or local government area to produce Alamieyeseigha's successor.
Just as permutations ahead of 2007 general election continue to change with the dynamics at the centre, Alamieyeseigha is yet to make a public statement on who succeeds him.
Already, there are flurry of political activities in and outside Creek Haven, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State seat of power. Alamieyeseigha, deputy, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan or anyone else for that matter has not made any open comment on their ambition or interest to govern the state in 2007.
However, their refusal to make their intentions public has not hindered the setting up of several clandestine political structures in all the local government areas ahead of the 2007 gubernatorial election. Those who have not denied their intentions to be governors in 2007 but who are strongly suspected to be nursing the ambition, include the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, NDDC, Mr. Ndutimi Alaibe, Engr. Charles Dorgu, Captain Matthew Karimo, Dr. Stella Dorgu, Chief Francis Doukpolagha and the state deputy governor, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
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