Elections: Gbaramatu chief appeals to Avengers to keep the peace
•Enjoins military to keep eye on personnel
While warning miscreants to steer clear of Ijaw land before, during and after the general elections, Gbenekama stressed that any attempt to create artificial insecurity in the land, such as attacks on economic facilities will not be condoned in Gbaramatu kingdom.
The activist urged everyone across Ijaw land to maintain the relative peace laboured seriously for by stakeholders before, during and after the elections.
He, therefore, urged Ijaw people to be law abiding, having suffered enough untold in the hands of Nigeria and greedy politicians.
“They should look at the suffering of the ordinary citizens each time these agitations happens. Its not about any candidate but the interest of our people.
“We must ensure that any criminal element who causes a problem within this period is handed over to security agents. We should not allow one bad egg to destroy our common patrimony.
“We should not allow those who are looking for an excuse to brand us as bad people to do what they have been longing to do to us as recent events in Gbaramatu kingdom suggests. Every Niger Deltan, Ezon person, and indeed Gbaramatuan must maintain and keep the peace.
“This advice becomes necessary because our resolve to keep the peace and have a peaceful poll might be put to test as politicians who may feel things are not going their way might want to cause problems. We should not give any person the opportunity to suggest the cancellation of our votes.
“Though successive governments have not treated us in the way we deserve I believe as long as we remain peaceful, one day God would hear our cry.
“I appeal to the security agencies to be professional in carrying out their duties if they gain the confidence of the people, then their work would be successful because the people would now see them as partners and not intimidators and oppressors.
“The military high command should also ensure that they monitor the activities of their personnel because we have suffered greatly in the hands of some over jealous military personnel who sometimes treat us as less humans,” he noted.