Nationwide Protest: Lokpobiri, Bayelsa Stakeholders, Others Meet, Assures of Shunning Protest Against Tinubu
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobri, Ijaw National Congress, INC, Ijaw Youth Congress, IYC, other stakeholders in Bayelsa and the Niger Delta region, on Wednesday, agrees not to participate in the planned nationwide protests against President Bola Tinubu administration.
Our correspondent gathered that Minister of Petroleum, Heinekzn Lokpobiri, led a high powered delegation of political leaders from Bayelsa State to Yenagoa for a consultative interactions with stakeholders.
The meeting, which led him to the State Government House for a meeting with Gov. Douye Diri, the State Traditional Rulers Council, to Ijaw House for an interactive session with Youths and leaders under the umbrella of the Ijaw Youths Council and the Ijaw National Congress (INC).
The interactions and engagement was however successful as the Youths and the Elders through the President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Professor Benjamin Okaba declared that there would be no protest on any of the Ijaw Land.
At the Government House, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobri, with his team, which included the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the state in the 2019 governorship poll, Chief David Lyon, and immediate past Nembe/Brass Federal Constituency member of the House of Representatives, Israel Sunny-Goli, was received by the governor inside the Executive Council Chambers during the state cabinet meeting.
Senator Lokpobiri appealed to youths from oil producing communities in the Niger Delta to jettison the protest, while thanking Governor Diri for engaging with various socio-cultural, youth and students groups to maintain peace in the state.
He acknowledged that some of the demands of the alleged sponsors of the protest were genuine but appealed for patience to allow the government address their concerns.
“We are here to first of all commend you for your exceptional leadership. The world is a global village and all that you are doing here are known all over. So I am here to extend the commendation of Mr. President for the good work you are doing.
“After our Federal Executive Council meeting on Monday, Mr. President directed us to liaise with our governors to ensure that we do not have a repeat of the 2020 #EndSARS.
“Bayelsa people are known for our peaceful nature. So, I want to thank you for the engagements you have done since the issue of this protest started. I am here to complement what you are doing.”
In his remarks, Governor Diri thanked Lokpobri for giving the state proper representation in the Federal Executive Council.
On the August 1 protest, the governor acknowledged the rights of the people to protest in a democracy but stressed that there must be a good reason, which he argued can be resolved through dialogue.
He said his administration deployed dialogue from the beginning and because of his performance, the people re-elected for another term.
He called on Bayelsans to come to the roundtable to resolve any grievance against government’s policies.
Diri again advised the people not to join the protest given that it was being orchestrated by failed politicians in the state.
He directed that there will be no public holiday in the state as all government offices, markets and businesses will open for normal daily activities.
At the Ijaw house, which is the secretariat of the Ijaw Youths Council(IYC) and the Ijaw National Congressional (INC), Senator Lokpobiri urged the youths not to be deceived by some faceless agents to protest against President Bola Tinubu.
He pointed out that the youths should not allow these faceless agents to set negative agenda for the region rather the region should be at the forefront of setting development agenda for other regions and the Federal Government.
Lokpobiri urged the youths to be patient with President Bola Tinubu because he is a listening President,” one salient issue raised by those planning these protest is that there hardship. And this is acknowledged by President Tinubu.it is not however peculiar to Nigeria. Every countries of the world are battling with Global inflation.”
“Don’t let anyone let agenda for you because they did not consult us when they were drawing the demands for the protest. And from their list of demands,they did not include any one of our peculiar problems.”
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