Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has said that his administration would study the recommendations of the Reconciliation Committee of the Ijaw National Congress (INC) and consult widely before implementation.
Governor Diri expressed optimism that the recommendations of the committee would foster peace, progress, stability and reposition the Ijaw nation for greater relevance in Nigeria.
Key Highlights:
- Governor Douye Diri received the INC Reconciliation Committee’s report.
- Diri said the recommendations would be reviewed before implementation.
- He praised the committee for completing its assignment on time.
- The committee consulted key stakeholders across the Ijaw nation.
- The report aims to restore unity and strengthen the INC.
The governor stated this on Friday, while receiving the report from the 8-man committee at the Government House, Yenagoa.
The report followed its inauguration by Governor Diri on May 26, 2026 with the mandate of reconciling aggrieved interests in the INC after a disputed presidential election.
The state governor, who lauded members of the committee for painstakingly putting the report together within the stipulated timeframe of one month, said nothing less than excellence was expected.
He added that the committee delivered a report that speaks to the divisions and future possibilities of the Ijaw people, describing the INC as the highest institutional expression of the identity and historic aspirations of the people.
“We cannot stand aloof while such a vital institution drifts without direction. The Congress and the people rise or fall together.
“You were given a sacred mandate: to find reasons to stay together. You have discharged it with diligence and courage. You have given us not just a report, but a pathway back to trust and collective purpose.
“When I inaugurated this committee, I said the destiny of the Ijaw Nation was too precious to be left unattended. You heard that urgency. You responded to it.
“Given the high calibre, sterling pedigree and unimpeachable integrity of this committee, nothing less than excellence was expected. You have delivered a report that speaks to our divisions and to our future possibilities,” he said.
Presenting the report, the Chairman of the reconciliation committee, Mathew Seiyefa, said the committee interacted with all contestants in the INC elections, including members of the electoral committee, the INC executive and also received memoranda from various zones of the INC and other critical stakeholders of the Ijaw nation.
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Dr. Seiyefa, a former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), noted that the expectation of the committee was that the INC would speak for the Ijaw nation, its people and their causes.
According to him, the resurgent INC will be more consultative and inclusive, giving primacy to its role as a platform for advocacy, which will enable the body gain greater traction and resonance in the lives of the people.
“A common trend, which permeated this interaction, was the overwhelming passion for not just the survival of the INC but its renewal and reinvigoration.
“There was a yearning for an INC that would rise to the challenges of the moment with respect to the cause of the Ijaw nation and its people.
“This sentiment was a key driver in the deliberations of the committee and has informed the recommendations that we have made,” he added.
