Bayelsa Community write protest letter to Buhari, COAS over JTF’s bias role in domestic affairs

Traditional heads and leaders of Letugnene community in Ekeremor Local Government area of Bayelsa State have sent a protest letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Farouk Yahaya over the allege bias role being played by the men of the Joint Military Task Force code named Operation Delta Safe in the politics of the Community Development Committee (CDC) in the area.

According to the Letugbene leadership, the armed military men of the JTF are being hired one Mr. Abraham Buku who lost out in the CDC elections to oppress and intimidate members of the Letugbene Community over the domestic affairs of the community.

The Letugbene community, in the protest letter, through their Solicitors Wariebi Egberipou, Esq. attached to the Magna Pax Law chambers, stated that their services was retained by Morrison Fazi, the Chairman elect, Community Development Committee (CDC), of Letugbene Community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, against the unjust and illegal activities of the Joint Military Task Force to use to dabble into the domestic politics of the community.

According to the letter, It is our client’s instructions to inform you that his emergence as the CDC chairman of the Letugbene Community was based on the approval of four out of the five families that makes up the Aketekpe quarter. In the same vein, his emergence did not inspire violence or security challenges that would warrant the intervention of the Joint Task Force”.

“In any case, if any dispute arises from the selection or emergence of our client, the community has a Clan Head who is in a better position to resolve issues relating to the Community Development Committee and not the JTF. It is against this backdrop that we crave your indulgence to intervene by calling on the JTF to refrain from interfering in core community and customary affairs of the people of Letugbene Community”.

The community explained that the positions of Community Development Committee (CDC) Chairman and other offices are usually installed bi-annually and the positions rotate on quarter to quarter basis within the Letugbene community. Also, whenever a position rotates back to a particular quarter, that position rotates from family to family, either by election, selection or on the basis of a sharing formula as preferred or adopted by the members within that quarter”.

“Consequently, where a position is zoned to a particular quarter, it is the members of that quarter that are saddled with the responsibility to determine which family or which individual occupies the position in question. Where a person or group of persons are selected pursuant to paragraph 1 above, that individual and other selected members for various offices/positions will be presented to the community, and the community in turn will make a pronouncement on their emergence and present/introduce the selected persons (Exco members) to the community, firms and institutions operating within the community”.

“That by the age-long practice of the Letugbene Community, each Community Development Committee Exco is expected to function for a period of two years after which another set will take over from them on the 2nd of January bi-annually. That the CDC chairmanship position for the 2022 administrative year was zoned to the Aketekpe Quarter/Compound, which is made up of five families. In the course of the process of selection/election of the CDC chairman, 4 aspirants emerged from the said five families of Aketekpe Compound”.

“Consequent upon their emergence, the leaders and elders of that compound met, consulted and resolved that Mr. Morrison Fazi, our client, of Odin family within the said Aketekpe quarter be allowed to occupy the chairmanship position on the basis that his family has not benefitted or occupied any position in the community leadership. That consequent on the emergence of our client, one Mr. Abraham Buku who had in the past occupied leadership positions in the community, became aggrieved by the decision of the elders and leaders to have Mr. Morrison Fazi, our client as chairman of the CDC, and has approached the Joint Task Force (JTF) to be inviting and intimidating natives and members of the compound and community in respect of our client’s emergence as CDC Chairman, which more or less is a domestic affair of the family/compound and community.”

“Consequent on the above, our client has instructed us to invite you to apply the instrumentality of your good office to investigate, and restrain Mr. Abraham Baku and his agents or privies from using the JTF or any other state institution to oppress or intimidate members of the Letugbene Community over the domestic affairs of the community.

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