Niger Delta Youths Coalition says protest by Ankio Briggs
on grazing land uncalled for
The Niger Delta Youth Coalition for Peace and Progress
(NDYCPP) on Thursday said that the aborted protest led by Ms Annkio Briggs, a
Niger Delta Activist against allocation of grazing land was ill advised.
Briggs had led a protest on Tuesday against donation of
1,200 hectares of land to cattle rearers for grazing purposes by Bayelsa
government.
The protesters were dispersed at the Tombia area of
Yenagoa by youths who stormed the area in several buses injuring the protesters
in the process.
Reacting to the development NDYCPP in a statement signed
by Mr Jude Tiedor and Chief Henry Nabena, Acting Coordinator and Acting
Secretary respectively noted that the protest did not follow laid down
procedure.
“Our attention was drawn to the incident that occurred on
the 14th February 2017 at the Tombia Junction, Yenegoa Bayelsa.
“Our respected sister and Amazon, Lady Ann Kio Briggs had
a scuffle with some persons who felt her protest on that faithful day was
naive, distractive, and orchestrated to over- heat the polity.
“This foiled protest was totally unnecessary and unacceptable
by the majority of the Ijaws.
“While we consider the situation unfortunate, especially
as it affects a woman who has been involved in the Niger Delta Struggle for
many years, We are at the same time forced to ask this very pertinent question.
“Was the protest necessary? In our thinking Ann Kio
Briggs and her group did not follow due process in staging the planned protest
in Yenagoa.
“Our investigations revealed that the police and other
security agencies in the state knew nothing about the planned protest which
could have been hijacked by hoodlums to cause trouble,” the statement read in
part.
NDYCPP noted that some Niger Delta youths leaders had
prevailed on Briggs to shelve the action but she rebuffed the entreaties.
The coalition further stated that the government of
Bayelsa’s explanation that the move to restrict the cattle business was a
security measure to avert clashes between farmers and herdsmen devoid of
politics.
It was
observed that that Briggs may have acted from a misinformed perspective.
However in her own reaction to the reported attack, Briggs who said she lost her phone in the course
of the melee, described the action of the youths that as “unacceptable”.
“All what we are saying is no to Ijaw land being ceded to Fulani
people under any circumstance.
“At the rally, thugs came into the Tombia round about field,
they invaded the place push me down, one particular boy collected my Samsung
phone, my Identity Card was ripped off my neck and some people secured me and
moved me away from the location.
“I told the police DPO that this rally was not against the
Governor of Bayelsa, but against the decision he has made.
“It is unbelievable, I am an Ijaw person, I have fought for the
Ijaw nation for as long as I can remember.
“I have been called a bigot because of my stand on Ijaw issues
and if today I can come to Bayelsa, and Bayelsa children some of them are old
enough to be my children, whether it is Gen Africa, and others; so if today
they have appointments and positions and think that people like me no longer
have the right to speak on Ijaw matters, that is a sad day for them and not for
Ijaw nation.”
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