WARRI — A crack emerged, yesterday, in the wall of opposition mounted by the Ijaw against the conduct of the November 27 local government elections in the three Warri local government areas of Delta State as the leaders and people of Ogbe-Ijoh clan dissociated the Ijaw of Warri from the position of Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark that the Ijaw would not have anything to do with the polls.
But Chief Clark insisted when contacted by Vanguard that he spoke the mind of the Ijaw, describing the dissenting group as traitors of Ijaw cause. His position was corroborated by both the national president of National Union of Izon-Ibe (Ijaw) Students, Delta State University, Abraka and the secretary, National Association of Gbaramatu Students, Messrs. Otuaro Dennis and Paul Bebernmibo respectively who said that the true Ijaw people were behind Clark.
Chairman of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Western Zone, Chief P.Y Mamamu also told Vanguard that the boycott of the elections by the Ijaw was for peace to reign and to enable the state and federal government address the fundamental issues that led to the suspension of the elections in the first instance.
Chairman of the Ogbe-Ijoh clan governing council, Mr. Lucky Oromoni who said the council is the apex body charged with the responsibility of running the political and administrative affairs of the clan in a statement signed by seven others, however, said that Clark’s decision was unilateral and embarrassing to the Ijaw of Warri as they were neither involved nor consulted before the boycott which invariably included them was announced.
Other leaders who signed the counter statement were a PDP ward chairman in Ogbe-Ijoh, Chief Paul Yeinanagbegha, two members of the Traditional Council of Chiefs, Chiefs David Pere and Nelson Senne, three leaders of thought; Messrs. Alfred Yola, David Omare and Gordon Donye and youth leader of Ogbe-Ijoh clan, Mr. K Baotukpodenmene.
According to them: “Inasmuch as we agree with Chief E.K. Clark on most of the issues he raised in his open letter to the chairman of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC), Asaba, we respectfully disagree with him on his unilateral decision to announce a boycott on our behalf without adequate consultation with the people he purportedly spoke for. Our stand is based on decency and our avowed commitment to the noble efforts of Governor James Ibori in concert with the Military Task Force , Operation Restore Hope to restore peace to the troubled Warri area.
“We are convinced that a leader of Chief Clark’s standing has unfettered access to both the state and federal government and should use such privileged position which he occupies to seek for an amicable resolution of the intractable issues responsible for the Warri crisis. We are not convinced that the respected Chief Clark has exhausted all available avenues open to him to address the area of disagreement before resorting to the boycott option.
“On the other hand, the policy of constructive engagement enunciated by some of our political leaders in opposition to Chief Clark’s traditional boycott approach has yielded great political dividends which has greatly enhanced political inclusion of our people”, they noted.
