Stop Hitting Up Ijaw Nation, Group Tells Diri

Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa

Few days after the Bayelsa State governor, Duoye Diri, vowed to prosecute former Governor and immediate past Minister of Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, over alleged hand in the killing of a Bayelsa youth during the November 11 gubernatorial poll in the State, the  Ijaw Professionals have called on the governor, to stop hitting up Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation with his ill-advised campaign and media trial against  Sylva.

The group said the strategy adopted by Diri in his quest for political survival was casting aspersion on Bayelsa and embarrassing the entire  Ijaw ethnic nationality.

The Bayelsa state governor at the burial of the youth in Brass Local Government Area, ordered the State Attorney General to begin the process of prosecuting the former governor and other over the death of the youth.

 But the group in a statement signed by its Secretary, Clarkson Ayebaepreye, said Diri’s recent attempt  which is  borne out of political exigency to force an allegation of murder down the throat of Sylva, was a shameful  voyage that would only cast the Ijaw nation in bad light.

The statement said Diri, as a governor had forgotten the significance of his office and his role as the number one citizen of Bayelsa in protecting the collective interests and heritage of the Ijaw nation.

He said: “Sylva remains our illustrious son and one of the pride of the Ijaw nation. He is one of the Ijaw valued assets and deserves to be accorded respect and treated with dignity. 

“The only thing we have seen in Diri’s recent moves against Sylva including his attempt to hang allegation of murder round his neck is politics taking too far. Diri is entitled to fight for his political survival but it must be done within the limit of common sense  in such a way as not to ridicule the Ijaw nation.

“How can you accuse a man of murder in the media before commencing an investigation to know whether he actually committed such heinous offence? 

“If you feel that Sylva is guilty, why are you dramatizing it, making conclusions even before beginning your investigations? It is only the court that reserves the prerogative to try an individual and pronounce him guilty of any offence. Everything is not politics. It should be moderated especially by a man, who holds the trust of the Ijaw nation.

“While we condemn any killing at all whether before, during and after an election, we warn that trying to use it as a political weapon against a personality of Sylva just because he is challenging the election of the governor in court is simply a witch-hunt that will end up dragging the entire Ijaw nation in the mud. 

“We are calling on the governor to retrace his steps, seek other strategies to survive politically and allow Sylva to pursue his case at the judiciary. It is Sylva’s right to challenge Diri’s re-election and the governor’s right to defend his victory. Going beyond this to chase shadows is not acceptable.

“But if Diri thinks that he has a criminal case of murder against Sylva, we advise him to hand over his evidence to the police and allow the court to do its job. It is foolhardy to accuse a man of crime before initiating an investigation to determine the man’s culpability.

“This approach will only ridicule the Ijaw nation and cast us in bad light before other serious ethnic nationalities, who understand the importance of boundaries in brotherly banters.”