By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—Prominent Niger Delta groups, yesterday, slammed critics of Bayelsa State Government  over its decision to allot the Bayelsa Palm Estate for use by herdsmen operating in the state.

The Ijaw National Congress, the Ijaw Youth Council, the Bayelsa Youth Movement and other groups condemned the position of the Niger Delta activist, Ms Ann-Kio Briggs and others on the government’s decision to set aside portions of land for cattle grazing.

They had accused the government of mortgaging the future of Ijaw children by its decision to earmark the area for cattle business.

INC, in a statement by its Chairman, Central Zone, Chief Kennedy Odiowei, said there was no iota of truth in the claim and advised people behind it to always verify their facts.

Conceding that Ms Briggs may have been fed the wrong information by ‘mischief makers’ on the reasons for allocating the area for the breeding and processing of cattle, INC said there was no iota of truth in the claim that Governor Seriake Dickson had given out Bayelsa Palm Estate to cattle herdsmen in the state.

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State Government has warned against the politicization of its decision to designate the Bayelsa Palm Estate as a grazing site for Fulani herdsmen and their cattle.

Reacting to reports in the media, the Special Adviser to the Bayelsa State Governor on Security Matters, Chief Boma Spero-Jack, said that the security implications of the decision, by far outweigh the political consideration and should be treated as such.