Bayelsa gets new autonomous community
The Bayelsa Government has granted autonomy to Kabokiri Community in the Sagbama Local Government Area.
The Kabokiri community, on its boundary with Delta, is formerly known as New Patani.
The Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, has been directed to issue a certificate recognising the rural settlement as an autonomous community.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by Mr Doubara Atasi, the Senior Special Assistant to the Deputy Governor, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo.
In the statement, the deputy governor said that the approval for the autonomous status was given by Gov. Douye Diri, “following a justifiable request made by the community’’.
The deputy governor said the state government directed that the name of the community, which is located on the Bayelsa part of River Forcados, be changed from its former name, New Patani to Kabokiri Community, as requested by the indigenes.
He urged the Sagbama Local Government Council to work closely with the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, to ensure the full integration of the community into the scheme of things in the Sagbama area and the state at large.
“Ewhrudjakpo specifically charged the Chairman of Sagbama LGA to immediately meet with the leaders and integrate the new community fully into Sagbama Ward 13 to enable them to have a fair share of their rights and responsibilities as indigenes of the state.
“He also urged the community to work out modalities for the conduct of credible elections that would enable them to choose capable individuals as their paramount ruler and officials of the Community Development Committee (CDC) Youth and Women groups of the community,” the statement said.
He said the deputy governor had constituted a committee to visit the Kabokiri Community to identify the immediate social amenities needed by the people and to submit its report to government in three weeks.
The committee, which is headed by the Commissioner for Local Government, has as members the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Deputy Governor’s Office and the Chairman, Sagbama Local Government Council.
Others are the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to the Deputy Governor and Senior Special Assistant on Security to the Deputy Governor.
“Also, we are giving the community some weeks, depending on what we will agree on in this meeting, for us to conduct elections to appoint a traditional ruler, known as Amananaowei, CDC Chairman, Youth President, as well as Woman Leader for the community.
“We want the major families that are there to put their heads together and come up with a workable formula for the election.
“You have to decide whether the position of the Amananaowei should be open to all or rotated among the families in the community to have a peaceful process, so that if it’s not your turn, you don’t contest,” the deputy governor said in the statement.
In separate remarks, the Acting Amadowei of the community, Chief Ekiyor Ebidowei, Chief Pathfinder Ebikebina and Mr E.B. Oyinkuro all expressed gratitude to the state government for granting autonomy to their community.
While pledging to be a responsible community, they also vowed to remain loyal and committed in supporting government’s policies and programmes at all times.
