Controversy is brewing in Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa State over the state government’s decision to relocate the Kolo Creek Rural Development Authority (RDA) headquarters from Kolo community to Emeyal II.
The move has sparked protests from Kolo residents, who believe it is politically motivated following the fallout between their kinsman, Barr. George Turnah was a former aide to Governor Douye Diri and the governor himself.
Kolo Creek RDA, one of the local administrative units created by former Governor Diepreye Solomon Alamieyeseigha in 2000, had served the Kolo community until the recent announcement.
The community members have also alleged that the rift between Turnah and Governor Diri and Turnah’s political alignment with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is the real reason behind the controversial relocation.
Community leaders, including Chief Solomon Ederi Aginaye, the 1st Deputy Agholo of Kolo Kingdom, have voiced their discontent, warning that the state government’s plan to push for the creation of a new local government area, Ogbia North, with Emeyal II as its headquarters, will only deepen division and spark avoidable unrest.
Aginaye emphasised that despite the Kolo community’s past political loyalty to Governor Diri, they have seen little to no development or appointments in return, adding that the interest of the people of the Kolo community was not taken into consideration by those who have made up their minds to “gang up against Kolo”.
He further appealed to Senator Diri to resist the temptation to allow his interest to override the state’s interest.
‘’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’’, Aginaye stated.
Meanwhile, Governor Douye Diri, in a meeting with representatives of Kolo and Emeyal communities in Government House, disclosed that the meeting was called to ensure that there was law and order in Ogbia Constituency III following the disagreement about what he called the perceived relocation of the headquarters of Kolo Creek local government area from Kolo community to Emeyal II.
Diri, who insisted that Kolo remains the headquarters of the RDA, explained that 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 make local government areas.
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