Kpodoh Raises Alarm Over Plot to Scuttle Bayelsa West Rotational Zoning -Says Battle to ensure justice will continue

 By Our Reporter

Chief Perekeme Richard Kpodoh

A political stakeholder in Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa State, Chief Perekeme Richard Kpodoh says people in the area will continue to fight against what he asserts as "the greedy interest of some politicians to scuttle the brotherly rotational zoning of National Assembly positions between the local government areas of Sagbama and Ekeremor that constitute Bayelsa West Senatorial district".

 Chief Kpodoh who made the assertion on Sunday while Speaking with Journalists in Yenagoa, berated those involve allegedly lobbying select persons from the area with inducements for the re-election of former governor of the state and serving Senator Henry Seriake Dickson against the zoning formula that now favours the Ekeremor people to produce the next Senator.

"The leader of the said group should understand that his plans to undermine the Sagbama/Ekeremor people may affect his future election.

 "Let him and Dickson tell us what Dickson attracted to the area when he was a member of the House of Representatives and in his current tenure in the Senate.

" The governor of the state is only maternally an Ekeremor man, and in the Ijaw tradition, nobody dey answer mama name. Let him go and decide for the Kolokuma/Opokuma people if they allow him to break their age-long zoning arrangements", Kpodoh said.

He warned that if the trend continue the Sagbama/Ekeremor people will join the opposition APC to reverse the political pendulum in the state if they threat with kid gloves.

He lambasted the former governor of creating wealth while in office for his family members and few cronies at detriment of the people of the state.

Chief Kpodok condemned in strong terms the recruitment of some fierce looking youths as taskforce members, who operates twenty-four hours daily to extort unsuspecting transporters and commuters.

"They are no longer thinking rightly. They think that they are the only wise people, without realizing that they are only holding the mandate of Bayelsans.

"These are leaders that couldn't provide ordinary water in the state capital inspite of over two trillion naira that the past administration has gotten on behalf of the state.

"They are not bothered that local investors are daily packing out of the state as a result of bad governance, adding to lack of basic social amenities that would have direct bearing on the lives of the people, noting the incurable insecurity and fallen education.

Chief Kpodoh said young girls have no option than to go into prostitution for survival because of the absence of employment which is only accessed by children of high profile politicians and their paymasters.

He stressed the need to learn from Ebonyi, Yobe and other states that were created alongside Bayelsa in 1996, but has gapped the state in terms of development.

" Look at Bola Ahmed Tinubu. When the Federal Capital was moved away from Lagos to Abuja, people thought the economy in Lagos would fall. But Tinubu proved them wrong and today, the economy of Lagos is still the strongest," he added.

He stressed the need to build modern markets and motor parks to uplift the status of the state and make it a commercial center like Aba rather than the present situation that have reduced status of the state capital to what he described as a glorified Council headquarters.

He expressed fear that the so much loan collected may enslave the state for the next forty years.

" No succeeding government has ever declared to Bayelsans what the previous administration left behind because they may see Bayelsans as politically and mentally docile. But we have serving and retired military Generals, high profile politicians and business people who should have been talking on the state of things in Bayelsa.

The accumulation of two trillion is what was received by the past administration. They couldn't even provide electricity that encourages commercial and educational growth,” he lamented.

Chief Kpodoh condemned the recent activities by some youths who allegedly stormed a Bayelsa High Court and stoned a judge.

“They were quoted to have chased out all the lawyers and litigants that were in the court room, and people are shouting wolf, forgetting that a governor sacked a Federal High court in Yenagoa and nothing happened.”

"I am not supporting those who perpetrated the act. But it will make more justice if we prosecute the first offenders", Kpodoh said.