The Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, a group of young elements in the creeks of
\nNiger Delta canvassing for improved economic benefits for the Ijaw nation,
\nis set to stage a 10,000-man march to protest the emergence of former
\ngovernor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, as candidate for the December
\n5governorship election in the state.<\/p>\n
Sylva\u2019s alleged poor human rights record and lack of performance when he
\nwas governor for five years were reasons given for the protest.\u00a0 The group
\nwhich said Sylva\u2019s emergence was an insult to its collective membership
\nwondered why it was so difficult for the All Progressives Congress (APC)
\nto get a better candidate other than Sylva and has vowed to resist his
\nsecond coming even as a candidate.<\/p>\n
The group, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Bennard Legite, and
\nmade available to the press in Yenagoa, the state capital, on Friday,
\nfaulted the APC\u2019s decision to pick the former governor as its candidate
\nand wondered if the party was serious about the quest for change or
\nactually interested in winning the election.<\/p>\n
According to the statement, Sylva\u2019s record as governor was so appalling
\nand anti-people as it said the period was marked by violence and killings
\nas well as massive corruption and wastes in government.<\/p>\n
The statement read in parts:\u201d We the collective members of the Mangrove
\nBoys of Bayels are saddened by the emergence of former governor Timipre
\nSylva as the APC candidate for the December 5 governor election in Bayelsa
\nState. Even if we have had any sympathy for the APC, its decision to pick
\nSylva as candidate has totally changed our focus. It runs counter to any
\nlogic and decency. For a person who for five years can only be remembered
\nfor his brutal violence against his people, killing and maiming, rendering
\nmany women widows and many children fatherless and with such a record of
\ncorruption, then we do not think Sylva\u2019s second coming is good for any
\npurpose in Bayelsa State.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo demonstrate our resolve to stop Sylva, we are set to mobilise our
\nmembers and teeming youths of Bayelsa for a 10,000-man march to protest
\nTimipre Sylva\u2019s emergence and his candidacy. It is simply unacceptable for
\nthe interest of all our people. It is absolutely inconceivable that APC
\nwill field a man currently on trial for corruption by the EFCC. Now, what
\nmessage is the APC sending out about President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s
\nanti-corruption war? These are the moral issues for APC to think about.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur protest is to draw the important attention to this malady that
\nSylva\u2019s emergence will spell doom as a sad reminder of a return to the
\ndark days of killings, cultism, militancy and general insecurity in
\nBayelsa. Bayelsans have not forgotten the deadly blows they suffered under
\nSylva\u2019s inhuman regime as governor. We all remember the countless deaths,
\nmany wives turned widows and fatherless children. We also remember the
\nroutine diversion of funds meant for civil servant salaries and a legacy
\nof crippling debt profile. With this ugly past, then our question is: what
\nis Sylva coming to do again? To inflict further punishment on our people
\nor does he think we are so gullible to so accept him? Now, is this the
\nkind of change the APC want us to accept? We think otherwise. In the
\nabsence of any better candidate from the APC, then we believe it is better
\nfor the current governor to continue in office. After all, he has done
\nsome good job even when we are asking for more. We are using this
\nstatement to call on all our members and the entire youths in the state to
\nbe prepared for this important 10,000-man march. This time will be
\ndifferent\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, a group of young elements in the creeks of Niger Delta canvassing for improved economic benefits for the Ijaw nation, is set to stage a…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":42508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42507","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n