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By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa.
Bayelsa state based group,Izon-Otu community has described comment credited to the member representing Yenagoa constituency 1 in the state House of Assembly,Hon.Oforgi Oboku as baseless, reckless and complete disregard for other non-Epie and Atissa speaking residence of the war torn Agudama-Epie community of Yenagoa Local government area.
In statement made available to The Tide Monday the group through its chairman,Mr Ebikebina Asiyayei alleged that the lawmaker is not in tune with the remote and immediate causes of the incessant riots in the community.
The statement reads in parts: “Our attention has been drawn to the recent publication made by the Epie-Atissa leadership over the Epie and Ijaw clashes at Agudama-Epie community, Yenagoa, which have claimed the lives of two Izon middle-aged men”.
“We should have ordinarily grin their claims but to set the records straight in order not to deceive the general public, we say the claim by the Epie-Atissa people who spoke through the member representing Yenagoa constituency(1) in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly,Hon Oboku Oforgi is not only baseless but a reckless disregard to Bayelsans coming from a discomfit citizen of the state”, the group added.
The group alleged that the act by the lawmaker is a contravention of the peace policy of the Bayelsa State Government which had few weeks ago signed a peace accord with the dominant cult groups to ensure the sustainability of peace and shun social vices in the state.
Asiyayei said his group is also aware that the claims by the lawmaker may be a strategy to hit the non Epie and Atissa speaking tribes in the name of a reprisal cult attacks,saying Izon-Otu community will not tolerate any form of harassment from any tribe or clan in what ever guise.
Giving details of how the troubles began the group mentioned that the Youth President of Agudama-Epie had surrounded his cabinet with suspected cultists and later declared a fight against them for reasons best known to him,saying that prior to this time he had an alleged murder case of an indigene of his Epie-Atissa sister community of Akenfa with the security agencies and have since been arrested.
Izon-Otu community has as a result asked the general public to note that it was at that protest that some persons they described as miscreants stormed and demolished buildings belonging to the Ijaws and eventually killed one middle-aged man,culminating into the unrest being experienced in and around the once peaceful community.
“Was any Ijaw son part of his cabinet? Where Ijaw the only people involved in cult related activities in Agudama-Epie if what the lawmaker claim is true?” The group added.
