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Delta reads Riot Act to Ijaw, Itsekiri leaders
Sola Adebayo, Warri
The Delta State Government on Wednesday read the riot act to those opposed to the ongoing peace initiative in the restive oil city of Warri, warning that they would henceforth be held responsible for further breakdown of law and order in the area.
The government, which formally reacted to Tuesday�s withdrawal of a section of the Ijaw ethnic nationality from the peace process, accused those pursing dissenting opinions of having a hidden agenda.
The State Commissioner for Special Duties, in charge of Ethnic Relation and Conflict Resolution, Mr. Ovuozorie Macaulay, who addressed a news conference in Warri shortly after Ijaw youths cautioned their leaders against pulling out of the truce talks, said the �troublemakers� in the city had been identified.
He disclosed that security agents had been detailed to go after them.
Macaulay said, �If for any reason there is any upsurge of killing, terrorism on the waterways, government and law enforcement agencies will hold responsible those who are singing the embers of war. They have identified themselves by their latest actions.
�But we believe they have a hidden agenda, that is why the law enforcement agencies need to speak with these persons to say what they want, because this government will not be intimidated into taking certain decision.
�The local government creation cannot be done in crisis, they see an end to Warri crisis as an end to the illegitimate ways they have been living.�
The commissioner, however, expressed optimism that the withdrawal from the peace talks by three Ijaw leaders from Gbaramatu axis of Warri South West Local Government Area would not affect the peace efforts.
�Those who rejected the peace initiative are from Gbaramatu, which is one of the five Ijaw clans involved in the dialogue with the Itsekiri. So it is not correct to say that the Ijaw have withdrawn, because the four other clans remain on the negotiation table,� Macaulay said.
He added that notable Ijaw leaders such as Chief E. K. Clark were carried along in the commencement of the peace talks, adding that Clark appointed the 14-man Ijaw team to the peace talks.
Macaulay said, �It beats my imagination that somebody should now come and say he is not in support of the peace move.�
He regretted the latest action of the Ijaw leaders, warning that, �anybody planning to drag the Ijaw and Itsekiri back to hostility would not be treated as a sacred cow.
�It is an unfortunate situation that an agreement that took us six months to reach is been destroyed by elements who by my own belief don�t want peace in Warri,� the commissioner said.
Meanwhile, Ijaw youth organisations in Warri, have asked their leaders to rescind their decision to pull out of the ongoing peace talks with the Itsekiri.
The youths, who addressed a news conference in the city on Wednesday in Warri, said the peace efforts must be sustained and supported at all costs.
The President of Warri National Congress, Mr. Collins Eselemo, who read the text of the press conference on behalf the groups, warned against further bloodshed in Warri.
Eselemo, who signed the statement along with Mr. Micheal Iyoro for the Ijaw Youth Congress, Mr. Richard Debekeme, for Meinbutus Community and Mr. Felix Ogodobri, Chairman of the task force on youth activities, said any leader of Ijaw or Itsekiri leader who was not prepared for peace should use their children and wards as foot soldiers.
They said they would not condone destructive antics of their leaders thenceforth.
They said, �We resolved to call on Chief E. K. Clark to unconditionally support the on-going peace efforts between the Ijaw and the itsekiri and desist from any destructive moves or posturings.
�The youths in Warri and environs will no longer condone this anti-peace posture.�
The youths counselled their leaders to engage in constructive dialogue with their Itsekiri counterparts in order to resolve the lingering crisis in the city.
They added, �There shall be no more spilling of Ijaw or Itsekiri blood as a way of resolving the crisis.
�The youths in arriving at their position are not unmindful of the numerous problems afflicting Ijaw/Itsekiri leadership relationship. But we believe that dialogue and not bloodshed should be used in solving it. It is welfare and not warfare.�
They challenged their leaders to obey the rule of law saying, �We do not support those that feel that without creation of local government there would be no peace.�
The youths lamented the state of insecurity in Warri and its environs and condemned the role by certain Ijaw leaders in promoting insecurity and inter ethnic crises in the area.
The youths passed a vote of no confidence on the leadership of the Ijaw National Congress for its poor handling of the crisis.
�There is a position of the law concerning local government creation, so this must be complied with and innocent Ijaws should not be sent to fight and get killed. We want peace. Those for war should call their families out and should not call the innocent youths out,� they said.
The Punch, Thursday July 08, 2004
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