Ijaw group gives Dickson 7 days to revoke allocation of land to herdsmen

A coalition of Ijaw groups across the Niger Delta region on the platform of Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, yesterday, gave the Bayelsa State governor, Mr Seriake Dickson, a seven-day ultimatum to revoke the allocation of 1,200 hectares of land the state government allocated to Fulani herdsmen for grazing or face a mass shutdown of all government facilities across the state.

 Also, mothers of Ijaw nation, led by Niger Delta activist, Ms AnnKio Briggs, have slated a mass protest in Yenagoa, the state capital, on February 14, to occupy the state until Governor Dickson rescinds his decision.

 Other Ijaw mothers, who resolved at a meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to occupy Bayelsa from February 14 are the leader of Ijaw Women Council, IWC, Rosemary Naingba, aka Aweke-Ere I, national legal adviser, Borno Fetepigi Obhe, national secretary, Mrs. Ebisidor Bribebe, chairman, IWC, Eastern zone, Mrs. Brassba Jack •Gov Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa IPDI, in a statement by its acting spokesperson, Mr. Mayor Ogobiri, said:

“We are giving Governor Dickson seven days ultimatum to revoke Bayelsa land allocated to herdsmen or face mass shut down of all government facilities across the state because we do not want a repeat of the massacre that happened recently at Southern Kaduna in our state.

“We are warning Governor Dickson that the blood of any Bayelsan is worth much more than thousands of cows.