Diri Charges INC New Leadership On Ijaw Interest

Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has charged the newly elected executive of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) to protect the interest of the Ijaw nation at all times in order to reposition it among ethnic nationalities in Nigeria.
Governor Diri gave the charge when the new executive visited him in Government House, Yenagoa, after the INC elective convention at the weekend.
Professor of Sociology at the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State, Benjamin Ogele Okaba, who hails from Kpakiama in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, emerged president of the ethnic group’s foremost socio-cultural organisation.
The governor in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, called on the leadership to set aside political interest and work towards repositioning the INC.
He expressed joy over the emergence of the INC leadership through a rancour-free and exemplary electronic voting process after years of the organisation being comatose.
”I am indeed the happiest man that out of this electoral process, we have a brand new executive of the INC. There is a hand of God in your election. It was God’s own design using everyone of us to ensure the loud silence of the Ijaw nation would no longer be”, he said.
“On no account should you compromise the interest of the Ijaw people. I believe very strongly that the Ijaw nation is going to be heard.
“Have it at the back of your mind that your paramount interest should be that of the Ijaw ethnic nationality. You have chosen to lead the Ijaw people. You are the president of the Ijaw people and not the president of any political party’, he added.
“Let it be that under your tenure, the Ijaws make remarkable progress and have some degree of autonomy they have been looking forward to. Let it be that you wrote your name and that of other members in gold”, Diri noted.

By: AriweraIbibo-Howells, Yenagoa