Diri Urges New INC Leadership To Protect Ijaw Interest
The Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri, has charged the newly elected executive of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) led by Prof. Benjamin Okaba to protect the interest of the Ijaw nation at all times in order to reposition it among the ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
Diri gave the charge when the new executive visited him in Government House, Yenagoa, after the INC elective convention at the weekend.
Okaba, a Professor of Sociology at the Federal University, Otuoke, who hailed from Kpakiama in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, emerged the INC president at the election.
The governor, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, called on the INC leadership to set aside political interests and work towards repositioning the body
He expressed joy over the emergence of the INC leadership through a rancour-free and exemplary electronic voting process after the organisation being in comatose for several years.
Diri said: “I am indeed the happiest man out of this electoral process. We have a brand new executive of the INC. There is a hand of God in your election. It was God’s own design using everyone of us to ensure the loud silence of the Ijaw nation would no longer be.
“On no account should you compromise the interest of the Ijaw people. I believe very strongly that the Ijaw nation is going to be heard.
“Have it at the back of your mind that your paramount interest should be that of the Ijaw ethnic nationality. You have chosen to lead the Ijaw people. You are the president of the Ijaw people and not the president of any political party.
“Let it be that under your tenure, the Ijaws make remarkable progress and have some degree of autonomy they have been looking forward to. Let it be that you wrote your name and that of other members in gold.”
While commending the electronic voting system adopted in the electoral process, Diri noted that the Ijaws had shown that they were pacesetters and that hitch-free elections were possible in Nigeria.
He also assured the new leadership that as the only homogeneous Ijaw state, Bayelsa would work with the INC to ensure that the ethnic group is protected.
The governor also commended the Emeritus Professor Dagogo Fubara-led electoral committee for conducting the polls in a transparent manner, adding that if the process was faulty, there would have been protests from contestants who lost.
He further stated that he kept to his word that the state government would not interfere with the process.
Okaba, the new INC president, thanked the governor for his role in ensuring a hitch-free electoral process and for his decision not to interfere.
He also assured the governor that the leadership would work hard to move the Ijaw nation forward and that they would be an asset to the governor, constructively engaging him when ever the need arose.
Diri gave the charge when the new executive visited him in Government House, Yenagoa, after the INC elective convention at the weekend.
Okaba, a Professor of Sociology at the Federal University, Otuoke, who hailed from Kpakiama in the Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, emerged the INC president at the election.
The governor, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, called on the INC leadership to set aside political interests and work towards repositioning the body
He expressed joy over the emergence of the INC leadership through a rancour-free and exemplary electronic voting process after the organisation being in comatose for several years.
Diri said: “I am indeed the happiest man out of this electoral process. We have a brand new executive of the INC. There is a hand of God in your election. It was God’s own design using everyone of us to ensure the loud silence of the Ijaw nation would no longer be.
“On no account should you compromise the interest of the Ijaw people. I believe very strongly that the Ijaw nation is going to be heard.
“Have it at the back of your mind that your paramount interest should be that of the Ijaw ethnic nationality. You have chosen to lead the Ijaw people. You are the president of the Ijaw people and not the president of any political party.
“Let it be that under your tenure, the Ijaws make remarkable progress and have some degree of autonomy they have been looking forward to. Let it be that you wrote your name and that of other members in gold.”
While commending the electronic voting system adopted in the electoral process, Diri noted that the Ijaws had shown that they were pacesetters and that hitch-free elections were possible in Nigeria.
He also assured the new leadership that as the only homogeneous Ijaw state, Bayelsa would work with the INC to ensure that the ethnic group is protected.
The governor also commended the Emeritus Professor Dagogo Fubara-led electoral committee for conducting the polls in a transparent manner, adding that if the process was faulty, there would have been protests from contestants who lost.
He further stated that he kept to his word that the state government would not interfere with the process.
Okaba, the new INC president, thanked the governor for his role in ensuring a hitch-free electoral process and for his decision not to interfere.
He also assured the governor that the leadership would work hard to move the Ijaw nation forward and that they would be an asset to the governor, constructively engaging him when ever the need arose.
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