Bayelsa: Tension over relocation of RDA Hqtrs. from Kolo to Emeyal community
Bayelsa: Tension over relocation of RDA Hqtrs. from Kolo to Emeyal community
– Diri appeals for calm
By Idin Maximus
Trouble is brewing in Bayelsa State over the sudden relocation of Kolo Creek Rural Development Authority (RDA) from Kolo community to Emeyal II community in Ogbia Local Government Area.
The Kolo Creek RDA was created as a local government area alongside 31 others by the administration of former governor Diepreye Solomon Alamiyeseigha in 2000.
The sudden relocation of the RDA headquarters has been linked to the ongoing rift between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South-South zonal secretary, George Turnah, who is from Kolo community, and Governor Douye Diri over the former’s political allegiance to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
AbeyaNews reports that the announcement of the relocation had sparked protests as several youths and women of Kolo community had trooped out to protest the attempt to marginalise the community because of politics.
The people noted that any attempt by the state government to approach the National Assembly to create a full-fledged local government from the existing Kolo RDA and site its headquarters in Emeyal II instead of the Kolo community, which is the headquarters of Ogbia constituency III would only ignite needless crisis in the area.
Chief Solomon Ederi Aginaye, 1st Deputy Agholo, King of Kolo Kingdom, declared that the people, through protest, have expressed their grievances over the attempt to shortchange the people of Kolo community.
According to him, the people are disturbed because the interest of the people of Kolo community was not taken into consideration by those who have made up their minds to ‘’gang up against Kolo.
He lamented that since Kolo community supported the governorship ambition of Senator Douye for his first and second term, the Kolo community has not benefitted in terms of projects and appointments.
Chief Aginaye appealed to Senator Diri to resist the temptation to allow his interest to override that of the state.
“The people are calling on President Bola Tinubu, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, the House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas and Wike to stop the evil orchestration by the Diri administration against peace loving people of Kolo and reinstate Kolo as the headquarters of Kolo Creek RDA as a full-fledged local government area which has now been fraudulently renamed Ogbia North Local Government Area in the proposal submitted to the National Assembly.’’
However, Diri, in a meeting with representatives of Kolo and Emeyal communities in Government House, sued for calm, declaring that Kolo was still the headquarters of the rural development authority.
According to him, the notice for the creation of new local government areas from the Federal Government was received late, leaving the state government with a very short time to make a decision.
Diri emphasised that councils are yet to be created, stressing that historically, no civilian administration has been able to create local government areas.
