The Supreme Egbesu Assembly (SEA), a leading Ijaw socio-cultural organisation, has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the Federal Government and the National Assembly as it prepares to pursue legal action over the recognition of local government areas in Bayelsa State and broader resource control issues.
At a press briefing in Yenagoa, SEA Secretary-General Dr. Felix Tuodolo reiterated the group’s demand for official recognition of 24 Local Government Areas (LGAs) that were created during the administration of the late Governor Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. The group also stressed the need to affirm the Ijaw people’s right to participate in decisions affecting their natural resources.
Tuodolo argued that Bayelsa’s current structure of only eight LGAs places the state at a disadvantage under the federal revenue allocation formula, despite its major contribution to Nigeria’s oil earnings. He explained that although the proposed new LGAs were approved through constitutional processes, including a referendum and state legislature backing, the National Assembly failed to ratify them — prompting the state government to convert them into Rural Development Areas.
Beyond allocation concerns, the SEA highlighted how the limited number of LGAs affects Bayelsa’s representation and influence in federal decision-making, including in National Assembly committee assignments.
To press its demands, legal representatives for the group have issued pre-action notices to the National Assembly and the Attorney-General of the Federation, demanding action within 21 days, after which they plan to proceed to court.
SEA also called for a review of Nigeria’s revenue allocation system to ensure oil-producing states like Bayelsa have a meaningful role in decisions affecting their resources. The group described its approach as lawful and constitutional, urging Nigerians to support the pursuit of justice and equitable representation for the Ijaw nation.
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