By David Owei,

Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has appealed to well-meaning stakeholders in the Ijaw ethnic nationality to collectively ensure that the Ijaw National Congress (INC) was not factionalised.

He said history would not forgive them if they allowed personal interests to overshadow the cause of the Ijaw people.

Governor Diri stated this on Tuesday in Government House, Yenagoa, while inaugurating an eight-member INC Reconciliation Committee to resolve the protracted discord within the body.

A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, informed that the panel has two members from each of the zones of the INC while two others are to man the secretariat.

The Bayelsa helmsman, who is commonly called the Governor-General of the Ijaw nation, noted that the singular but weigthy mandate of the committee was to reconcile the disputing individuals and interests within the INC, and restore the organisation to its founding ethos of unity and purpose.

The Bayelsa governor also charged the committee to come up with recommendations and guidelines that would strengthen and propel the ethnic group’s cause.

The governor described the recent inauguration of the INC national executive council outside its headquarters, after a disputed election, as an aberration as such ceremonies had always been held at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

He equally appealed to stakeholders and INC members to cooperate with the committee, noting that it was not a moment for winners or losers but a moment for reconciliation, restoration, and renewal.

He said the committee had one month to carry out the assignment.

His words: “The baton of responsibility is in our hands. We must run our race with discipline, with focus, and with a firm commitment to the greater good.

“I acknowledge that disagreement is a feature of all human endeavour. It is not the disagreement that diminishes us, but our failure to manage it honourably. We must, therefore, seek out and hold fast to the greater reasons that bind us together. The ties of kinship, of shared history, and of common destiny are far stronger than the issues that divide us.

“A few decades ago, l was privileged to be among our great leaders entrusted with the mandate to birth the Ijaw National Congress. Our purpose was clear: to forge a platform that would unite our people, give voice to our collective aspirations, and advance the cause of a just and egalitarian society.

“That vision was never parochial. It was borne out of a conviction that the Ijaw nation must stand strong, speak with one voice, and take its rightful place in shaping the future of Nigeria.

“At this critical juncture, we find ourselves distracted by private and sectional ambitions that threaten to dull our edge and weaken our collective force. Let us be clear: we cannot afford this. History will not forgive us if, at the hour of need, we allowed personal interest to eclipse the cause of our people.

“It is for this reason that we are inaugurating this reconciliation committee. It is entrusted to individuals of impeccable standing and demonstrable achievement.“

Responding, chairman of the committee, a former Director-General, Department of State Services, Dr. Matthew Seiyefa, who is from the central zone, said it was unfortunate that the INC was at an inflection point but that it however presented an opportunity for introspection.

He said: “After we have successfully traversed this sorry path, the new INC will be more consultative with a view to harvesting the rich reservoir of resources in terms of experiences, knowledge and perspectives available within the Ijaw nation.”

Dr. Seiyefa assured that the outcome and utility of the committee would have significant implications for the future of the INC and, by extension, the Ijaw nation.

Other members of the committee include one-time Minister of Police Affairs, Alaowei Brodrick Bozimo (western zone), former INC President, Chief Joshua Fumudoh (western zone), National Chairman, Pan Niger Delta Forum, Dr. Boladei Igali (central zone), Amayanabo of Kala-Ogoloma, Rivers State, King Goddy Idaminabo (eastern zone), and one-time deputy governor of Rivers State, Alabo Gabriel Toby (eastern zone).

Dr. Kingsley Kuku, a former Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, Presidential Am

By George Mgbeleke

Governor Siminalayi Fubara has extended warm greetings and felicitations to all Muslim faithful in Rivers State and across Nigeria as they celebrate Eid-el Kabir, the Festival of Sacrifice.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi,Fubara described the feast as a season that calls on everyone, irrespective of faith, to have a deep reflection on the values of sacrifice, compassion, generosity, and unity.

Governor Fubara also expressed gratitude to the Muslim community for its contributions to the peace, economic growth, and social harmony of Rivers State.

According to him, the celebration of Eid Kabir should be a moment for all Muslims and non-Muslims alike, to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and collective progress.

He enjoined them to ensure that diversity in faith does not become a source of division, but of strength to enhance peaceful coexistence.

“As you gather with family, friends, and neighbours to share meals and offer prayers, I urge you to extend hands of kindness to the less privileged in our midst.

Let the spirit of sacrifice that defines this festival inspire us to give more, forgive more, and love more.

“On this sacred occasion, I pray that Almighty Allah accepts your sacrifices, forgives your shortcomings, and grants you and your families peace, good health, and abundant blessings. May the lessons of Eid-el Kabir guide us all as we work to make Rivers State and Nigeria a place of justice, prosperity, and unity for every citizen,” he said.

By David Owei,Bayelsa

The former Governor of Rivers State and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has been declared winner of the African Democratic Congress, ADC , Presidential Primaries election in Bayelsa State.

Amaechi defeated former Vice President Abubakar Atiku and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen by a wide margin having polled the a total of votes in all the eight local government areas of the state in a direct primaries conducted on Monday in the 105 wards in the state.

Announcing the results at the ADC Collation Centre in Yenagoa, the State capital on Tuesday, the Chairman of the ADC Presidential Primaries Committee in Bayelsa State who also doubles as the Returning Officer, Commodore Promise Dappa,retd, declared that Amaechi polled a total of 44,404 votes while Atiku got 6,570 votes and Hayatu-Deen polled 939 votes.

He said out of a total of 56,356 registered voters, 53,298 were accredited, with valid votes of 51,913 and 1,785 rejected votes.

Commodore Dappa, retd, who was flanked by other members of the committee and party leaders in the state declared: “By the powers conferred on me as the Chairman of the presidential primary election in Bayelsa State and also the Returning Officer of the Presidential Primary election in the state, I hereby do declare Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as the winner of the ADC Presidential Primary election in Bayelsa State having polled the highest number of votes in the state.”