From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa

Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri has read the riot act to youths of Ogboinbiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and other communities in the state to desist from unlawful removal of paramount rulers.

Governor Diri also advised youths to conduct themselves peacefully during protests in order not to cause chaos or destruction to government and private property.

Diri gave the warning on Tuesday at a meeting with the Ogboinbiri community, which had been embroiled in crisis, in Government House, Yenagoa.

The governor said there were laws guiding chieftaincy issues in the state and that any chief or traditional ruler recognised by the government cannot be removed without following the due process.

He noted that the youths of Ogboinbiri community infringed on the state’s chieftaincy law by attempting to forcefully remove their paramount ruler.

While condemning the action of the youths and the community development committee, the governor however said the youth president and CDC chairman as well as the paramount ruler would remain in their positions but directed that the youth president and CDC chairman write a letter of apology to the state government with a promise to work with the paramount ruler.

The governor further warned that the full weight of the law would descend on anyone who forcefully removed a government-recognised paramount ruler.

Diri explained that the interest of his administration was to maintain peace in the state in order to engender development.

He said: “Henceforth, we will not take it lightly with community youths that contravene our laws. They will face the wrath of the law in court. Enough of the brigandage in our communities.

“Across the length and breadth of Bayelsa State, any youth who takes the law into his hands on the issue of removal of chiefs would be prosecuted.

“The moment a chief is recognised by the state, whether he is third class, second class or first class, you cannot remove him again. Our law states that he is the chief of that community for life. Unless he has contravened the law, involved in financial mismanagement, absent from his domain and he cannot discharge the duties and functions of a traditional ruler. Even at that, you are not the one to remove him.

“The paramount ruler still remains the paramount ruler of Ogboinbiri, and he should work with the youth president and CDC chairman to bring peace to the community.”

While calling on the youths to unite and work for the development of their communities, Diri enjoined paramount rulers to be exemplary in their conduct and maintain peace in their domain.

He also called on youths to avoid being used by disgruntled politicians to cause trouble in the name of protest.

The governor, who acknowledged the hardship being faced by citizens in the country as well as state governments, commended Bayelsa youths on their peaceful conduct during the EndSARS protest, saying that the state was one of the most peaceful at the time.

The Bayelsa helmsman equally called on security agencies, local government chairmen and traditional rulers to be vigilant with a view to curbing actions that would lead to breakdown of law and order during the proposed national protest.

He said: “I like to call on you again to remember the EndSARS protest and be disciplined and keep our state safe.

“We are getting reports about some politicians that lost elections and want to use the protest to cause havoc. We will not accept that in Bayelsa State.

“Every local government chairman and every king in their domains have to be vigilant. We are a state that needs development and we should not allow anybody to thwart the developmental efforts of our state.”