The people of Kolo Community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State have strongly rejected the planned relocation of the Creek Rural Development Authority (RDA) headquarters from their community to Emeyal II, describing the move as politically motivated and unjust.
The aggrieved residents, who staged a peaceful protest on Monday, linked the state government’s decision to the ongoing rift between prominent community leader and political figure, George Turnah, and Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri.
The protesters accused the Diri-led administration of sidelining Kolo in both political and developmental considerations since the community aligned itself with Turnah, who has since shifted his political loyalty to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following his fallout with Governor Diri.
Addressing the gathering, Solomon Ederi Aginaye, the First Deputy Agholo of the Kolo Kingdom, lamented what he described as the systematic marginalization of the Kolo community, despite their previous support for Governor Diri’s first and second term bids.
Aginaye expressed concerns over what he called “discreet moves” by the State government to lobby the National Assembly for the creation of a new local government — Ogbia North Local Government Area — from the existing Kolo RDA, with its proposed headquarters controversially shifted to Emeyal II.
“This deliberate attempt to strip Kolo of its rightful place as the headquarters of Ogbia Constituency III is an act of provocation that could trigger avoidable unrest,” Aginaye warned.
He called on President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to intervene and stop what he described as the “evil orchestration” against the peace-loving people of Kolo.
“We are appealing for fairness. Kolo deserves to retain its status as the headquarters of the Kolo Creek RDA. We urge the federal authorities to stop this political manipulation and restore justice to our community,” he said.
In response to the growing tension, Governor Douye Diri, during a recent meeting with stakeholders from both Kolo and Emeyal Communities at the Government House in Yenagoa, clarified that Kolo remains the headquarters of the Creek RDA.
Diri explained that the state government had received the federal notice on the creation of new local government areas too late, forcing hasty decisions to meet submission deadlines. He assured all parties that the government’s priority remained peace, law, and order in Ogbia Constituency III.
The dispute has further fueled political tension in the state, particularly as Kolo is the hometown of George Turnah, a former aide to Governor Diri, whose defection from the governor’s camp to align with Wike has intensified local political rivalry.
Kolo Creek RDA, originally created in 2000 under the administration of the late Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, has long served as a central administrative hub for the community. The proposed relocation, if finalized, would mark a significant shift in the local political and developmental landscape.
As the controversy deepens, community leaders and concerned residents continue to insist on the reversal of the relocation plan, calling for federal intervention to safeguard the community’s longstanding administrative role.
