…Tasks New IYC Leadership On Peaceful Coexistence
The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Ijaw National Affairs, elder Erasmus Patrick, has lauded the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri for his Pan-Ijaw leadership roles towards ensuring peaceful and credible polls in the just concluded elections for the leadership of the 9th national executive council members of the Ijaw Youths council(IYC).
He noted that while no major stakeholder of the Ijaw nation interfered in the electoral processes, the Governor and other Ijaw leaders were mostly concerned about the peace needed to conduct the polls, hence they ensured that all necessary mechanisms were put in place for the conduct of peaceful polls.
National Wire reports that the Ijaw Youths Council(IYC) recently held her 9th national executive council elections in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
Speaking with National Wire correspondent in Yenagoa, yesterday the Commissioner described the Governor, Ijaw leaders and youths as Democrats who knew the importance of a free, fair and credible polls, hence have taken deliberate steps to ensure that the political destinies of Ijaw Youths and people as regards the IYC leadership elections were determined through credible polls.
Elder Patrick, a former National Organizing Secretary of the parent Pan-Ijaw socio-cultural group, the Ijaw national Congress(INC), also called on the new IYC leadership to see all Ijaws as one, irrespective of zones and clans, just as he stated that unity and peaceful coexistence were paramount in achieving a united front for the Ijaw nation.
He said: “I want to commend my boss, the Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Douye Diri for playing a fatherly role. The Governor without interference in the electoral processes, ensured that the polls were conducted peacefully in Yenagoa, the State capital.
“No stakeholder of the Ijaw nation influenced these elections in anyway. Ijaw Youths converged in Yenagoa and decided through peaceful and credible polls who should lead them in the various positions vied for in the just concluded IYC national executive council leadership elections.”
National Wire learnt that former IYC Chairman, Central zone, Comrade Jonathan Lokpobiri recently in a keenly contested national leadership elections defeated all other contenders for the IYC Presidency, polling 47 votes to emerge winner as the 9th President of the foremost Ijaw youth body, the Ijaw Youths council (IYC Worldwide) in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State.
