Bayelsa community protests imposition of monarch

The residents of Aghoro 2 community of Iduwini Kingdom in the Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on Wednesday took to the streets to peacefully protest against alleged moves by the state government to impose a monarch on them.

The people insisted on their choice of one Afro Biukeme as king, saying they had unanimously chosen him and no other person.

They warned that any attempt by the government to tamper with their choice through the office of the Deputy Governor would be vehemently resisted and would definitely lead to another round of crises in the community.

The protesters said that their action was based on the information reaching them that the government had allegedly concluded plans to bring back the former king, Ojunkonsin Ibamughan whom they had rejected.

They claimed that they rejected Ibamughan due to his alleged corrupt system and his failure to account for over N90m belonging to the community.

The placard-carrying demonstrators said instead of the former monarch to show remorse for what he did and tell the community how he would refund the money, he was boasting that he was untouchable and that he had people in government to protect him.

The leader of the protest, Chief O. Bousine said they started suspecting something fishy the very day they were invited by the government through the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, to Government House in Yenagoa.

Bousine said, “I commend Senator Lawrence Egwhrujakpor for the way he started the process. But what we are hearing right now is very bitter. We are not going to allow him or anybody to impose the former king on us. Never!

“Somebody who could not give an account of about N90m belonging to the community whom we have rejected, you want to bring him back? On what basis? Which law? The same law that gives us the power to make our King also empowers us to chase him out when he goes astray. We have chosen our new King and he is HRH Afro Biukeme. We are not going back on that,” he said.

However, the Bayelsa State government had directed the people of Aghoro 2 to maintain the status quo over the chieftaincy stool crisis pending the determination of the issues surrounding the stool.

(Daily Independent)