The Bayelsa government has set up a five-man committee to look into the protracted chieftaincy dispute in Polaku Community in the Yenagoa Local Government.

The committee, headed by the state’s attorney general and commissioner for justice, Biriyai Dambo (SAN), is to, among others, verify if the Polaku chieftaincy stool had been gazetted as claimed by the paramount ruler of the community.

Other members of the committee, which has three weeks to submit its report, include the commissioner for community development, Watson Belemote, and his local government and chieftaincy affairs counterpart, Thompson Amule.

Others are the special adviser to the governor on security, CP Akpoebi Agberebi (Rtd), and the adviser to the governor on chieftaincy matters, Perekeme Bertola.

Constituting the committee in Yenagoa on Thursday, the deputy governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, emphasised the need for communities to obey the state’s chieftaincy laws.

He clarified that under the provisions of the chieftaincy law, only the governor had the power to remove a duly elected traditional ruler for proven cases of gross misconduct after a thorough investigation.

Mr Ewhrudjakpo called on the feuding parties and the people of Polaku to maintain the peace and status quo, pending the outcome of the committee’s investigation.

He directed Tarila Club, the mayor of Yenagoa, to write an unreserved apology to the chairman of Yenagoa Local Government, Bulodisiye Ndiwari, for walking out on him at a recent reconciliatory meeting.

Mr Ewhrudjakpo said a copy of the letter should be made available to the deputy governor’s office because constituted authorities must always be respected.

“We hear that some individuals want to take laws into their own hands, but the time people take laws into their own has passed, so every person, family, and community must subject themselves to law and order.

“The Nigerian Constitution in section 3 says every court decision shall be binding on every person and authority pending when that judgement is upturned.

“So when there are judgements of a court, your community must obey and respect them.

“The laws of Bayelsa State override the laws of the Polaku community and every other community in the state,” he said.

(NAN)