Nembe-Ibe Young Lawyers forum Condemn Attack on Military Personnel, Lauds Bayelsa Dep. Governor, Obuebite, Gabriel Jonah, Ebi Ben Ololo, for their Leadership Role.

NEMBE- A group 'Nembe-Ibe young lawyers forum' have condemed in strongest terms the gruesome murder of three(3) military personnel in their base in Nembe-city.

In a press statement signed by its co-ordinator , Barr. Igbeta Ayibakuro, deputy co-ordinator Barr. Susan Barigha and secretary Barr. B.J Amambogha the group said the "attacks came unprovoked and without concern for safety of over fifteen thousand inhabitants as  guns are shot aimlessly into the community in the fashion of an invasion causing mass confusion, loss of property and a sense of general insecurity in the community, as the people of Nembe live in constant fear of an irrational unprovoked attack on their homeland and means of livelyhood; the constant threat of a military invasion is an intimidating fear the Nembe man has to live with since the turn of this year".

The group also called for the investigation of re-occurring attacks along the Nembe waterways "we urge the top military brass and the federal government to swing into action and investigate the reoccurring attacks on the Nembe people (a twist the incessant attacks on soldiers based in Nembe has taken), this is a further call as the community has earlier petitioned the government to take urgent and responsive steps to forestall indiscriminate attacks and prevent loss of life, limbs and/or properties in the most unreasonable manner, even as Nigerians currently battle the existential challenge of hunger and starvation".

Furthermore, the group thanked and appreciated His Excellency  Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtrd.) for the role he's playing towards building lasting peace and conflict resolution, educational development, provision of critical infrastructure, care for the elderly, sponsorship of programmes, health care, etc in Nembe kingdom.

Finally, the group also thanked notable Nembe sons such as Hon. Jonathan Obuebite (commissioner of information) for his prudent management of information concerning the Nembe people, Chief Barr. Bright Erewari Igbeta (Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor or environment matters) and Hon. Prince. Gabriel Jonah the Otita 1of Kpongboama(who out of his own magnanimity has being doing a lot of humanitarian assistance to Nembe Youth and also other non-Nembe speaking people such as his recent single handed construction of the 640 meter road at the back of the old commissioner’s quarters, Opolo, Yenagoa.

They also thanked Hon. Ebi Ben Ololo (the member representing Nembe constituency I Bayelsa State House of Assembly) and every other person that has maintained the peace in Nembe and used their good offices and position to prevent the annihilation of the Nembe people in a reprised attack by the Nigerian military occasioned by attacks on the military.

(Photo inset) Photos of His Excellency, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah rtd, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Hon. Jonathan Obuebite, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon Ebi Ben Ololo (member representing), chairman Nembe LGA, Hon. Walter Koroghofa and other stakeholders  addressing  Nembe Community, following the security glitch that happened in the community Yesterday August 8th.

See Press Release:

NEMBE-IBE YOUNG LAWYERS FORUM CONDEMNS THE CONSISTENT ATTACK ON SOLDIERS IN NEMBE-CITY.ANDCOMMENDS THE LEADERSHIP CHARISMA AND PROWESS OF REAR ADMIRAL GBORIBIOGHA JOHN JONAH (RTRD.) DEPUTY GOVERNOR BAYELSA
STATE.

PROLOGUE:

With the exit of former President Goodluck Jonathan from the nation’s top job in 2015, and the incessant delays in payment of monthly allowances and stipends to Ex-Niger Delta agitators by the federal government as captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme, hostility gradually but steadily returned to the region, but as in any human struggle, criminality also shore up alongside. The criminality increased at the first quarter of 2016 and manifested in pipeline vandalism (not just by genuine agitators, but also by criminal minded elements in the region and beyond), sea piracy along the creeks and rivers of Niger-Delta especially in Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa-Ibom States. Indeed, much of the damage to national economic life has been ascribed to the now dreaded and fierce Niger Delta Avengers (the NDA), an allegation the group has come to accept as truth in so many occasions albeit the attendant killing of security agents or personnel or other innocent people operating the waterways. With the return of hostilities to our waterways, new form of criminality showed up which is “the targeted attack and killing of military personnel deployed to the region to calm nerves and keep the peace, especially along creeks in Southern-Ijaw, Gbaramatu and Nembe.

THE NEMBE DEBACLES:

It will be stated here without contradiction that most oil producing communities in the Niger Delta have military bases and outpost for security and surveillance purposes, attacks on military personnel has always being on soldiers on routine patrol, or performing escort duties. The Nembe scenario has seem to be at variance with this mode of attack. Dastardly attacks on soldiers in Nembe  like the one of 8th August 2016 has been both on patrolling vessels and soldiers at their base in the community, unlike other places in the Niger Delta, for no particular reason anyone in Nembe could phantom, attacks has been persistent, constant and intimidating as it is infuriating and embarrassing.Attacks come unprovoked and without concern for safety of over fifteen thousand inhabitants as  guns are shot aimlessly into the community in the fashion of an invasion causing mass confusion, loss of property and a sense of general insecurity in the community, as the people of Nembe live in constant fear of an irrational unprovoked attack on their homeland and means of livelyhood; the constant threat of a military invasion is an intimidating fear the Nembe man has to live with since the turn of this year.

ENCOMIUM TO THE PERSON OF HIS EXCELLENCY REAR ADMIRAL GBORIBIOGHA JOHN JONAH (RTRD.) THE DEPUTY GOVERNOR OF  BAYELSA STATE. A TRUE LEADER OF THE NEMBE SPEAKING PEOPLE:

From time immemorial the Nembe man has being identified as peace loving leader of men, protecting his and all about him, a very short delve into the pages of history texts shows the gallant King Fredrick Koko standing tall alongside the brave King Jaja of Opobo and Oba Kosoko of Lagos who vehemently stood up against imperialism and even paid the ultimate prize for the integrity and freedom of their people. In Nigeria’s military tradition, the unprovoked killing of a soldier especially by civilians is seen as an affront and challenge on the entire military and the culprit(s) usually dealt with in the most brutal and ruthless manner imaginable; the Odi Saga quickly come to mind. While distanting the good people of Nembe from all of the attacks on oil facilities and installations and also the attacks on military personnel in our waterways, but without any form of prevarication. we, the Nembe-Ibe Young Lawyers Forum make bold to state and assert that His Excellency Rear Admiral. Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtrd.) has shown charisma, rare leadership traits, fatherliness and indeed has always being the big uncle and brother to the Nembe people. We are awed by His Excellency’s care and dedication to every little detail when it comes to ensuring peace and development of our people, a leader like no other devoid of all political sentiments and fraternization, Rear Admiral. Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtrd) has redefined in clear terms what the Nembe man stands for: the twin pillar of equity and social justice, built on wisdom and strength. Aside showing his very emotional love for the homeland at every given opportunity, as evident in how His Excellency has used his good office, life career and training to shield the destruction of our homeland even when it is most uncomfortable to his personal ideals, as in the case the outsiders orchestrated and planned attacks on soldiers within the Nembe kingdom (to implicate the peace loving and fledging civilization of Nembe kingdom), our amiable leader has being on the forefront championing the Nembe cause, reaching out his widow’s mite to every meaningful demand; A  few instances will be necessary at this juncture.

EDUCATION:
His Excellency has being on front promoting the education of the Nembe child in the form of providing scholarships and assisting in the payment of fees of indigent students in institutions of higher learning. His Excellency has being helping to acquire and process JAMB forms for secondary school leavers willing to further their education in tertiary institutions, which initiative has seen so many Nembe indegenes secure admissions into various universities’ across the nation. 

CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE:His excellency has used his good office to prevail on the SPDC and NDDC to perform their rather age long obligations to the Nembe people , by constructing the Ogbia Nembe road, which has now opened up the communities.Our iconic leader has being helping to develop critical infrastructure in Nembe city and its environs even before assuming office as the deputy governor of Bayelsa State. The Nembe-city stadium quickly come to mind, the construction and rephrasing of internal roads in the community, the standardization of public places and spaces are cornerstones pet projects of the people’s general.

HEALTH CARE:
The general Hospital in Nembe that takes care of all major health challenges of the Nembe speaking people has seen its glory days in this era of his Excellency’s leadership.

CARE FOR THE AGED AND VULNERABLE:
The people’s general has being taking care of the aged ones in the community providing financial assistance to subsidize healthcare cost and most importantly for general welfare of the elderly.

SPONSORSHIP OF PROGRAMMES:
The Nembe-Ibe Young Lawyers Forum just like other progress minded Nembe base organizations will always remain thankful to His Excellency for reaching out to some of them at times of need for sponsorship, to events like the annual Bar Conference and other such convergence, we owe him a debt of gratitude.

PEACE AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION:
No one individual, politician, administrator or businessman has ever cared for sustainable peace in Nembe as our general, that his concern for peace is devoid of any form of hidden benefit is the ultimate resonance of his charisma we are proud to be associated with. While at times of great upheavals most persons would want to stay afar and condemn or criticize events at the home front, our amiable general had urgently taken time in spite of his obviously very tight schedule to personally address Nembe related issues. He has never shy away from showing to the public that he is a defender of the people a trait reputably shown by our historic figure in the early 19th century, we the Nembe-Ibe Young Lawyers and every other well-meaning Nembe people have mused and concluded that His Excellency Rear Admiral. Gboribiogha John Jonah (Rtrd.) is undoubtedly the brave and iconic King Fredrick Koko reincarnate. While the people of Nembe-city regret and condemn the embarrassing debacle of the 8th August, 2016 that led to an exodus from the peaceful and prosperous community, we urge the top military brass and the federal government to swing into action and investigate the reoccurring attacks on the Nembe people (a twist the incessant attacks on soldiers based in Nembe has taken), this is a further call as the community has earlier petitioned the government to take urgent and responsive steps to forestall indiscriminate attacks and prevent loss of life, limbs and/or properties in the most unreasonable manner, even as Nigerians currently battle the existential challenge of hunger and starvation. We also want to appreciate the leadership roles played by Hon. Jonathan Obuebite (commissioner for information and orientation, Bayelsa State, for his wise management of information concerning the welfare of the Nembe people), Chief Barr. Bright Erewari Igbeta (Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor or environment matters,  a mentor of not just the Nembe-Ibe Young Lawyers Forum, but also a man loved and highly respected by all and sundry), the leader of the youth the splendid Hon. Prince. Gabriel Jonah the Otita 1of Kpongboama(who out of his own magnanimity has being doing a lot of humanitarian assistance to Nembe Youth and also other non-Nembe speaking people such as his recent single handed construction of the 640 meter road at the back of the old commissioner’s quarters, Opolo, Yenagoa. We urge all other well-meaning Bayelsa leaders to emulate these  leadership qualities), Hon. Ebi Ben Ololo (the member representing Nembe constituency I Bayelsa State House of Assembly) and every other person that has maintained the peace in Nembe and used their good offices and position to prevent the annihilation of the Nembe people in a reprised attack by the Nigerian military occasioned by attacks on military on our soil.

Barr. Igbeta Ayebakuro
Coordinator.
07037089033

Barr. Susan Barigha
Deputy Coordinator08138675370

Barr. B.J. Amambogha Secretary
08137590620