Group raise alarm over marginalisation, hijack by desperate PDP politicians in Bayelsa
A Bayelsa based group known as Concern Youths of Koluama 1 (CYK1), has raised alarm over alleged persecution, marginalisation and hijack of benefits accrued to the area by desperate politicians from the People Democratic Party (PDP), in Bayelsa State.
The group also accused a PDP chieftain and Senator, representing Bayelsa Central at the National Assembly, Senator Moses Cleopas, as the brain behind the impending crisis and the orchestrator of the division amongst party members in Koluama 1 and 2 communities.
According to the coordinator of the group, Chief Timi James, in a statement issued on Friday in Yenagoa, the state capital.
He said the orchestrated plans by the Senator Cleopas and some of his cronies from Koluama 2 community causing disenchantment does not speak well of the party’s supremacy, adding that a house divided against itself cannot stand.
James, emphasized that instead of Senator Cleopas and his collaborators to play leadership role and seek ways of bringing together aggrieved persons in the party, they are moving around and spreading misinformation and propaganda over purported defection of PDP members from Koluama 1.
The statement read”We as concern PDP members will use this opportunity to set the records straight, rather than joining issues to make matter worst in the fold of the party. The division caused by Senator Moses Cleopas and some desperate politicians in the community needs urgent attention.
Ward 17, is made up of Koluama 1, Koluama 2, Tamasuo, Olobia and Kalawei-ama. which Koluama 1 has three out of the five communities, but still all juicy and preferred appointments are hijacked by the few persons in Koluama 2, without recourse to others.
One of such desperate moves is the just concluded successful election of the Keffes Rural Development Foundation (KRDF), which a winner emerged but since the loser was a nephew to the Senator, he then turns to use security operatives against the winner in a bid to install the loser.
The winner Mr. Sele Mathew, is a card carrying member of the party which stands as the only reasonable position held by an indigene of Koluama 1, but still they won’t let him be, in order to stop us from benefit anything and the people are unhappy.
All what the people of Koluama 2, are doing is just for their selfish interest and not in the interest of the party, and we want to state clearly that whatever illegality they are planning will be resisted totally and nobody can intimidate us in this.
We therefore call on the Governor of the State, Senator Douye Diri, and stakeholders of the party to intervene and call Senator Cleopas and those involved to order. How can you be hellbent in installing your nephew who lost an election, but if the government still keep mum on the matter, we will say no problems but we have options.
The other contestant is also a member of the party, and from the community and shouldn’t be treated like an out cast.
They should be told that illegal actions causing internal wrangling can also push members of the party to look elsewhere for solace if not averted.
