….Calls on Communities with boundary disputes to forward petitions to the State Boundary Committee
From Rhoda Godwin, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Government on Saturday restated its readiness for greater collaboration with traditional rulers to build a more secure and peaceful state.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made this known during separate meetings with traditional rulers from Brass and Sagbama local government areas in Government House, Yenagoa.
Sen. Ewhrudjakpo said the role of traditional rulers as custodians of peace and security in their areas cannot be overemphasized at a time criminality is on the rise everywhere in the country.
He pointed out that the present administration in Bayelsa State has an irrevocable commitment to revamp the traditional institution, to give them the needed impetus to perform their role as agents of peace and development.
Ewhrudjakpo informed the royal fathers that the local government councils had been directed to pass bylaws that would legalize the setting up of vigilantes in all the LGAs of the state, in view of the growing security concerns.
While soliciting the cooperation of the traditional rulers, he clarified that the funding of the vigilantes would be jointly done by the State Government and the local government councils.
According to him, government has also directed councils to enact bylaws banning the movement of speed boats without official security permit along the rivers and creeks within the state after 7pm.
He appealed to the traditional rulers and the public to participate actively in the townhall meetings and public hearing on the proposed bylaws in their LGAs and make necessary input.
Responding to some complaints bordering on inter-local government boundary disputes in the state, Senator Ewhrudjakpo called on all communities having boundary issues to forward them to the Bayelsa State Boundary Committee for arbitration.
He said the state government through its boundary committee would swing into action as soon as petitions were received and appealed to communities having such boundary problems not to take laws into their hands.
The Deputy Governor urged council chairmen to hold regular security meetings with stakeholders including the traditional rulers in their areas.
To this end, he directed the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Development to get the monthly security meeting reports from the eight councils and convey same to his office accordingly.
His words: “The role of the traditional institutions cannot be overemphasized, as far as we are concerned in this government. That is why there is this gradual gravitation to see how we can rest on the shoulders of traditional rulers to help us govern more effectively.
“That is why we are working tirelessly to ensure that the bill on community administration is reviewed to accommodate all our sentiments on the part roles our traditional rulers need to play in our communities.
“We have made a decision that all communities must set up vigilantes which will be government-driven. We want vigilantes who are resident in their communities, that would raise an alarm for the security agencies to swing into actionn.
“Only yesterday, we met with the local government legislative councils and gave them directive to as a matter of urgency, pass the community volunteer bylaws before the end of October.
“We want you the royal fathers to partner us to build a more secure, peaceful and prosperous society. We are expecting that you will give your support by way of input that would make the bylaws relevant”, he said.
In their separate remarks, the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diete Spiff, and the Ibenanaowei of Ibeni-Oyiakiri, King Joshua Igbagara, thanked the Deputy Governor for the regular meetings held with traditional rulers in all the LGAs across the state.
The royal fathers, however, appealed to government to provide the necessary logistics they needed to function effectively, and cautioned that the vigilantes to be set up should not be allowed to be hijacked by politicians for their selfish interests.
Also speaking, the Commander of NNS Soroh, Commodore Peter Effah, said the Nigerian Navy was taking proactive steps to beef up security in the waterways following the flag-off of “Exercise Still Waters” in the state.
He therefore appealed to the people to provide real time intelligence to the security forces to enable them combat and contain all forms of criminality on the waterways.
