{"id":16504,"date":"2019-08-13T06:05:01","date_gmt":"2019-08-13T10:05:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=16504"},"modified":"2019-08-13T06:05:42","modified_gmt":"2019-08-13T10:05:42","slug":"guber-poll-when-ijaw-elders-converged-on-yenagoa-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/?p=16504","title":{"rendered":"Guber poll: When Ijaw elders converged on Yenagoa [Nigeria]"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . .<\/p>\n

An article by Omoniyi Salaudeen from Sun News Online<\/a><\/p>\n

Worried\u00a0by the previous experience of violence and electoral malfeasance in Bayelsa State, concerned stakeholders under the auspices of the Ijaw Elders\u2019 Forum on Wednesday, July 31 converged on Yenagoa. They were there to brainstorm on the peaceful way to achieving a free, fair and credible governorship poll slated for November 16.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
\nRear Admiral Jonah (Rtd), addressing participants<\/center><\/p>\n

The conference, with the theme: Peaceful and Credible Governorship Election and Good Governance in Bayelsa State: Building Consensus Through The Ijaw Charter and IJaw Nation Code of Ethics, Leadership and Governance, drew participants from across all walks of life, including the diplomatic corps, political parties and the aspirants. The event was just for one thing: non-violent and credible election.<\/p>\n

Flowing from the tune of the discussion at the conference, no one was left in doubt as to the imperative of the urgent need to change the narrative about Bayelsa being perceived as a violence-prone state. All participants unanimously condemned violence in whatever form as a means of aspiring for leadership position.<\/p>\n

The guest speaker, Dr Austin Tam George, in his paper entitled: \u2018Electoral Violence and Superstition of Power,\u2019 aptly captured the essence of the sensitization workshop. In his presentation, he outlined some of the factors that promote electoral violence. These include contempt for people, lack of confidence in the electoral process, culture of impunity as well as lack of compelling message, among others. He described the entrenched culture of impunity as the greatest danger to democracy, blaming the worrisome trend on absence of deterrence. \u201cWithout prosecution of those involved in violence during election, this culture of impunity will not stop. And it endangers democracy. What we have now is democracy without the people. Electoral violence can only produce mediocrity. There can be no visionary leadership where election is characterized by violence. There can no transparency and accountability from leaders who emerge through violence. Electoral violence diminishes everyone,\u201d he posited.<\/p>\n

The Chairman of the event, King Bubraye Dakolo, traditional ruler and Ebenanaowei of Ekpetiama Kingdom, set the tone for discussion in his earlier opening address. He urged all aspirants to eschew violence during and after the election, adding that anyone found to instigate violence should be ex-communicated.
\n\u201cAn election is about brain and not about gun. Let the game be a peaceful one. I will also like to suggest that all aspirants should be made to take an oath that they will not encourage violence and anyone who encourages violence should be ex-communicated,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n

The deputy governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah, who commended the organisers of the conference for the peace initiative, in turn charged the traditional rulers to ensure that the message of peace is taken to the grassroots. He also used the occasion to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be fair to all.<\/p>\n

(Article continued in right column)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\nQuestion related to this article:<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

<\/p>\n

How should elections be organized in a true democracy?<\/a> <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

(Article continued from left column)<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere an election is not free and fair, there will always be a reaction and you cannot predict the reaction,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

The Secretary of the IEF, Mr. Efiye Bribena, told the audience that the international community had expressed its strong support for the peace initiative, promising to sanction anyone involved in violence during the election.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe global community is interested in the election coming up in November. They are partnering with us to have a free and credible election. Their absence in today\u2019s event is due to security reports. They have called in to apologise for the unavoidable absence and expressed the readiness to sanction anyone involved in violence,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A major feature of the event was the signing and affirmation of non-violence agreement by the governorship aspirants as a demonstration of their commitment to a peaceful and credible election.
\nSignatories to the agreement included the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd) (People\u2019s Democratic Party- PDP), Dr. F. Erepamo Osaisai, Kemela Okara, Mrs Diseye Nsim Poweigha (All Progressives Congress- APC), Speaker of the House of Assembly, Tonye Isenah and Eneyi Zidougha, chairman, Inter Party Advisory Council.<\/p>\n

The conference, which was a follow up to the earlier workshop held in May, aimed at building an enduring culture of peace and tolerance from the top to the grassroots. The Chairman, BoT, G24 Embasara Foundation and former Executive Secretary\/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, Arch Amagbe Denzil Kentebe, speaking with the reporter on the sidelines of the event, assured that the initiative would be sustained beyond the election period.<\/p>\n

His words: \u201cWe have been having radio programmes where we are talking directly to Bayelsans.\u00a0 Everybody in one way or the other is trying to disseminate this information. This agitation for violence is coming from the top. And that is why we are targeting political actors to make them agree to a peaceful process. The good thing about getting the politicians, who are always the culprits, together is to make them affirm that they will not be violent-prone.<\/p>\n

\u201cViolence comes in when someone doesn\u2019t have something to offer. It is a very expensive programme that we have. And don\u2019t forget we are doing it from our own personal contributions because we believe that if there is no violence during election in Bayelsa State, we will have the best of leadership. And the best of leadership will always ensure great development. What we are trying to do is to change the narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n

The peace conference was a collaborative effort of Ijaw Elders\u2019 Forum, Lagos State chapter, Ijaw Professionals Association (IPA), Ijaw Nation Forum, G24 Embasara Foundation and Ijaw Women Connect Worldwide, Diplomatic Corp, Centre for Democracy (CDD) and Ijaw Nation Development Group (INDG).
\nDignitaries in attendance at the occasion included: Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (retd), King Bubraye Dakolo, Gen. Paul Toun \u2013 Chairman, Board of Trustees, Ijaw Professionals Association, Dr. Austin Tam-George \u2013 Fmr. Hon. Commissioner of Information, Rivers State, Barr. Efiye Bribena \u2013 Secretary, Ijaw Elders Forum, Lagos, Rt. Hon. Tonye E. Isena \u2013 Speaker, Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Barr. Iniruo Wills \u2013 Co-convener of Embassara Foundation,\u00a0 and Denzil Amagbe Kentebe \u2013 Chairman, Board of Trustees, Embassara Foundation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

. . DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION . . An article by Omoniyi Salaudeen from Sun News Online Worried\u00a0by the previous experience of violence and electoral malfeasance in Bayelsa State, concerned stakeholders under the auspices of the Ijaw Elders\u2019 Forum on Wednesday, July 31 converged on Yenagoa. They were there to brainstorm on the peaceful way to achieving … Continue reading Guber poll: When Ijaw elders converged on Yenagoa [Nigeria]<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92,19],"tags":[9],"class_list":["post-16504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-africa","category-democracy","tag-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16504\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english.cpnn-world.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}