…Insist on October 14 protest
AN emerging pressure group in Bayelsa State, the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, has debunked claims that its planned 10,000- man protest against the candidacy of former governor and governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, was being sponsored by the State government.
Rather, it described that the protest, scheduled to hold in Yenagoa, the State capital, on October 14, as a non-partisan and non-violent civic action to drive home its conviction that the second coming of Sylva would spell doom for the people of the State.
Sylva’scampaign organization had, in a statement at the weekend, said the group’s impending protest was being sponsored by the Bayelsa State government and a manifestation of fear over the emergence of Sylva by the government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But in astatement by its spokesman, Bernnard Legite, yesterday, the Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa insisted that the proposed march was a responsible step driven by the need to call the attention of the public to, “the atrocities and evil” allegedly perpetrated by Sylva during his five years reign as governor of the State.
While re-affirming its belief in public protest as a civilized conduct in a democracy, the group said the demonstration would be peaceful and non-violent.
It reiterated its focus on public sensitization to prevent recurrence of what it described as, “the return to our dark days of the reckless and evil actions of the ‘Famutangbe”. Established during Sylva’s administration, ‘Famutangbe’ was a security outfit, which allegedly caused untold human rights violations that led to widespread violence, cultism and mass murder.
The group stated: ”We can assure the general public that this is a peaceful protest. Some of our mothers, whose husbands and children were gruesomely murdered have indicated interest to join us in the protest. We have since written to thePolice to grant us permit for the protest. Certainly, we are pursuing a noble cause, when we recollect the fact that Bayelsa under Sylva as governor, was a land wrecked by violence, kidnappings and cultism. Most of us embarking on this protest lost loved ones through Sylva’s State-sponsored terrorism directed at innocent citizens and mostly at political opponents. Many Bayalsans fled into exile in neighbouring States and far-flung places, No doubt, Sylva’s past is now haunting him.”
It stated that the protest has become a coalition as other groups with similar interest would be participating, adding that the concern of all members was the quest for the APC to change Timipre Sylva as its candidate for the December 5 election or face a backlash of massive voting against the party in the election.
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