A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa state, Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, has accused the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva of allegedly fanning the embers of violence and bloodshed among the people of Ekeremor and Sagbama over the agreement on Zoning Formula to be adopted for the vacant Bayelsa West Senatorial District of the State.
According to Kpodoh, though the political leaders Ekeremor and Sagbama in Bayelsa West have met and decided on the zoning of the vacant seat to Sagbama, the recent threats against some prominent politicians from Sagbama and Ekeremor Local government areas by the faction of APC loyal to Timipre Sylva is a clear attempt to promote violent division among the Bayelsa West people.
Chief Perekeme Kpodoh, who is from Sagbama Local Government Area, said the clueless and shameful attempts by Sylva to divide the people of Ekeremor and Sagbama will fail as the cordial relationship among the people of Bayelsa West Senatorial West was intact before the creation of Bayelsa and the APC.
According to Kpodoh, the Sylvia’s faction of the APC threat of expulsion against the Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and others is a clear show of weakness and show of low esteem against the will of the people by Timipre Sylva.
“is that how a leader behaves? He is always finding ways to divide the people. See what happened in Nembe and Brass areas during the last elections. Brothers were instigated to take up arms against one another due to election. Many were killed and others not accounted for. Even at that, only his ares of Brass and Nembe dominated his appointments as a Federal Minister.”
“While we are at peace with one another in Ekeremor and Sagbama areas, Sylva should stop instigating some spent and disgruntled politicians to cause disaffection in our Area. The question they should be asking Sylva and his cohorts is what have been their benefits since he is the leader of the APC and Minister.?. Sylva wants to use them again to secure financial and political gains. ”
“Sylva is a guy man that use people for negotiations. The last Governorship election is a perfect example. Many died, others incur huge debts while struggling to secure guber mandate, and at the end, it was business as usual for him and other politicians cry in pains. ”
Chief Kpodoh urged the people of Ekeremor and Sagbama local government councils to shun those behind the ongoing campaign of calumny to instigate violent disagreement over the agreed zoning arrangement that had promore peaceful co-existence among the people of the area.
He noted that the zoning arrangement between Ekeremor and Sagbama has been in place before the formation of the APC. And that it has rotated peacefully without bloodshed or acrimony, “Senator Emmanuel Diffa from Sagbama started in 1999 with four years in the Senate and the 8years of Sagbama was completed by Sen. J. K. Branbaifa. Ekeremor turn in the Senate was handed over to Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri for two tenure before it moved back to Sagbama where Sen. Foster Ogola did four years and Sen. Lawrence Ekhujiakpor took over. ”
“Now that circumstance has thrown up Sen. Ehujiakpor to be Deputy Governor, the Sagbama people has the right to complete their eight years by producing a Senator. It is right for the people of the areas to keep such agreement. Those raising dissent g voice against such agreement are toddlers in politics. “
