The Deputy Leader of the Egbesu Brotherhood cum convener of Ijaw Unity Congress, Priest Ellington Bakumor has issued guidelines upon which the the Ijaw Youth Council should be built upon beginning from the forthcoming conventional elections.
In a heartfelt message to the entire Ijaw Nation, particularly delegates that will vote in the next IYC officials, the renowned Tenserimowei pleads that the mistakes of yesteryears must be avoided to change the lingering status quo of the body.
Bakumor who expressed sadness over the epileptic state of Council advises that the tenets that the sinking ship was erected on must be upheld.
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In a 7-point guideline released thought his official Facebook page on Sunday, Bakumor wrote as follows;
As we Prepare for IYC elections , this is my little message to Ijaw nation and more especially to delegates.
1. We shouldn’t make the mistake of selling our votes again. Unfortunately, it has become a norm within council for offices to be bought or given to the highest bidders. This has been the cause of so many clashes, disrespect and disregard for the Ijaw Youths and even elders because no one will respect you after buying your vote from you.
You didn’t vote for him because you liked him or believed in his capacity, you supported him because he has sent you cash tirelessly and even given you cash on Election Day.
This also makes elected officials find it difficult to face the task at hand but to want to start hustling immediately to regain his spent money .
2. Do not support or vote for proud people, people who will never be accessible, advisable or teachable, the Mr know-it-alls. We should avoid and not vote for these set of people for they will cripple Council with their pride.
3. Do not vote for clueless people out of sentiment. There are people that will go home and sit down after victory. They just need the official title to drive branded cars or ID cards to enable them continue in their fraudulent attitudes.
4. As much as possible, let us avoid Loyalists of Political parties who think and say that their Political Party or affiliations are supreme to Ijaw nation. Ijaw nation is supreme. Our welfare and well being is supreme.
Let’s not vote people that cannot question the Government at both the federal and state levels and the multinational companies as to why the ill treatment and continued shortchanging of Ijaw people.
We were here when Ijaw towns and villages where burnt but IYC couldn’t say foko. We were here when a sitting Ijaw Governor ordered the killings of Protesting Ijaw Youths in Amasoma, Ijaw Youths even officials in Council couldn’t say Pim. This is not the kind of leadership we want again for Council.
5. Let’s not Vote in people that will see council as their personal business and cocoa farm, people that will win and then not carry everybody along, people that will not update or keep Ijaw nation abreast with the happenings of council.
6. IYC was founded on the coming together and coalition of traditional Ijaw institutions called OGBOs but today the mention of Egbesu, Fenibeso, Woyingi or even the common Asawana is becoming almost a taboo.
We now hold prayer meetings in churches and despise the beginnings of how we came and we wonder why IYC is crippling, IYC members no longer venerate or remember their origin, they can now comfortably plan evil against each other because nothing will happen to them.
We should elect officials that still have Maximum regards for our traditional institutions.
While we do what we must do, let us do it well and get it right this time. There’s too much deceitful grammarians, too much sense of entitlement and too much sentiment everywhere.
Before now, council would be what will my people get before me but now it is what will I get. Don’t worry I will handle my people. I am begging Ijaw nation to get it right this time. Ijaw nation is at a critical time now. We need to rise. We need leadership.
Let’s Vote for Visionaries, Passionate, Vocal, tested and trusted hands at all levels.
Meanwhile, there is so much uncertainties surrounding the fate of the upcoming elections as the coronavirus pandemic has put every public gathering on hold.
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