…asks Okowa to relocate to crises zone

By Francis Abai

A Warri based peace advocate and environmental rights activist, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, has said the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa is not doing enough to broker peace among the warring communities which has lingered for too long.

This was made in a statement he released to GbaramatuVoice media house over the recent attacks by the warring communities of Aladja in Udu Local Government Area and Ogbe-Ijoh in Warri South-West Local Government Area, which according to him has claimed 11 lives and many houses burnt.

“The Delta State Government is not doing enough to broker peace among the warring communities which has lingered for too long now.

“Will Governor Okowa wait till a prominent Deltan or highly placed politician lose his or her life before the government will intervene to end the crisis? Is it because the dead are not his relations?

“The greatest assets of any society are its citizens and we recently lost over 11 lives and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa could not make an emergency trip to sympathise with victims and people of both communities but was in the neighbouring city of Warri recently to celebrate.

“The state government can broker peace among the warring communities and this will definitely boost the re-election of the governor in 2019,” he submitted.

While expressing his disappointment in the way and manner the government is handling the issue, he appealed to Governor Okowa to as a matter of urgency relocate to Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh to settle the crisis instead of inviting the parties to Asaba without any positive results.

“I am urging the state government to move in to restore peace, law and order in both communities so as to foster peace and increase economic growth and revenue in Delta State.”