…tasks state govt over ensuring peace in Aladja, Ogbe-Ijoh areas
….plans summit for peace with major stakeholders
In an unprecedented move in the Niger Delta region, youth groups from two different ethnic groups buried their differences to work together, towards the restoration of peace in the state.
The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide and the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Youth Wing (Ighele) in a joint public statement, signed by the Presidents of both groups, Messrs Eric Omare and Nicholas Omoko, called for peace between the Aladja Community in Udu Local Government Area and the Ogbe-Ijoh Community in Warri South West Local Government Area, all of Delta State.
Aladja, an Urhobo Community and Ogbe-Ijoh, an Ijaw Community have been continually engulfed in communal crisis over land, which have claimed several lives and multi-million Naira properties over the years, these have also resulted into near total paralysis of socio-economic activities in the area.
The IYC and the UPU (Youth Wing), in their statement counseled the two warring communities on the way out of the quagmire.
They called on the two warring communities to adopt dialogue as a means of resolving the dispute, instead of resorting to gun duels.
The statement reads; ”There is no amount of gun battle that would lead to a winner and a loser in the circumstances, instead all the two communities would be losers. ”The best option in the opinion of the IYC and UPU, Youth Wings is for both communities to embrace dialogue, make compromises and work together towards restoring peace and attract development to their respective communities, rather than resorting to violence.
”The IYC and UPU (Youth Wing) express our commitment to work with youth leaders from both communities; government and other stakeholders towards restoring permanent peace to Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities.
”We realize the fact that the greatest victims of this needless war are the youths of both communities. The energies of the youths which are supposed to be channeled towards productive purposes are now been used for negative purposes.
”We therefore call on the Elders and Leaders of the Ijaw and Urhobo Nations to take drastic steps to bring this needless war to a stop. The Ijaws and Urhobos of the Niger Delta region have no business going to war; instead they should be engaged in joint struggles to take control of our God -given resources which, we have been deprived of, over the years by the federal government.
The groups also tasked the state government, Federal Government, and somew of its agencies, to urgently take measures that will bring about peace in the communities. It especially called for the construction of needed infrastructures that would benefit the people of the area and bring out about development, instead of conflicts in the communities.
”The IYC and UPU (Youth Wing) call Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to take all necessary measures to restore peace to the warring communities.
”Governor Okowa must act now! We further call for the construction of public facilities that would benefit both communities in the disputed area by the state and Federal governments especially, interventionist agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to avoid further destructions and bring development to the warring communities and restore peace.
The Ijaw and Urhobo youths, disclosed its intention to convoke a summit of youths in both communities, for the promotion of peace in the area.
“The IYC and UPU (Youth Wing) in the coming days have agreed to call a summit of Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh youths to work towards a peace process together with government and other stakeholders”, the statement reads.
-BY SHINA BADMUS
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