Amarata Community Elects New Paramount Ruler

John ODHE, Yenagoa

Amarata Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa state has elected a new paramount ruler, Elder David Sam to oversee the affairs of the town.
The people gathered on Saturday, February 13, 2021 at the OMPADEC Primary School field to elect a new traditional leader. Each of the five compounds that made up the community fielded one candidate for the chieftaincy election. The compounds include: Isiogi, Fankuluboun, Fanbalamata, Ubiobu and Yenekwi.

Before and during the election proper, all the five chieftaincy candidates sat together and happily shared pleasantries in a manner devoid of bitterness.
Each of the candidates spoke to our correspondent, promising to give their support to whoever that may emerge victorious. They added that any one among them who came second would automatically become Deputy Paramount Ruler.

All the five candidates described the electoral process as peaceful, free, fair and credible, even as they commended the Electoral Committee for organizing an acceptable election.
At the end of the peacefully conducted election, Sam of Isiogi compound polled a total of 234 votes to emerge winner while his closest rival, Chief Moses Torukuru of Yenekwi compound, who scored 135 votes was declared Deputy Paramount Ruler.

Chairman of the Electoral Committee (ELECO), Mr. Torukuru Peniel, who declared the results, thanked the contesters and members of the community for their peaceful disposition during the polls and called on neighbouring communities to borrow a leaf from Amarata.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after he was declared Paramount Ruler-elect, Elder David Sam attributed his victory to the handiwork of God, adding that “God always remembers those who fear Him.”

While calling on his co-contesters and his subjects to join hands with him to move the community forward, the paramount ruler-elect promised to preach the gospel of love to unite Amarata more than ever before.
The new paramount ruler further promised to work in collaboration with the state government and security agencies to bring about the needed peace especially among the youths of the community.

“I pray for God’s wisdom to serve the community well. Right from my first day of campaign, l have been preaching omunene, that is love.
“It was due to lack of love that an ugly history was made last year when the oldest woman in Amarata community went to the bush but didn’t return because her boat was stocked in the midst of water hyacinth and she slept over in the bush.

“If there was love, those water hyacinth would have been cleared long ago in collaboration with the relevant authorities, and our mother would not have died.
“What I want to do is to remove the pains that our people experience while going to their farmlands or to fish. I will also liaise with security agencies to put a stop to the issue of the bad boys that are disturbing our people at home.

“I am calling on the state government to come to our aid in terms of security, employment of our youths; the internal roads are bad. The government should assist us in clearing those water hyacinths preventing our people from going to their farms,” he added.