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Smooth take-off of projects, panacea to peace in the region
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Calls on COAS to reconsider such plan
As a way of not indulging in a misguided priority, the Delta Ijaw Women Initiatives (DIWI) has cautioned the Federal Government to focus primarily on the vigorous development of the region which is the collective need of the people.
The group stated this in a press statement signed by her President, Hon. Ebimaye Bebenimibo and made available to GbaramatuVoice.
According to the statement, what the region urgently needs is aggressive infrastructural and socioeconomic development and not operation crocodile smile as recently orchestrated by the Nigerian Military.
DIWI, by this release, condemned in strong terms the statement recently credited to Brig-Gen Sani Usman, the Army Director of Public Relations while speaking to Signature Television on Saturday, 16th September, 2017.
Hon. Bebenimibo stressed that what the women in the riverine communities seriously need now is development, peace, and empowerment, not an atmosphere of chaos and tension.
She, therefore, urged the army and other security agencies to reconsider their plan to unleash terror on the people of the Niger Delta region and some parts of the southwest adding that such move cannot promote civility in the nation, Nigeria.
In the same vein, the release pointed out that It is a known fact that the last time the army carried out Crocodile Smile in the riverine communities, it left the women in tears and with a total unpalatable experience.
In the same fashion, the women lamented that visiting the region with another round of military invasion when they have not yet recovered from the last incident will be a burden too heavy to bear by the Ijaw women.
However, as a way of ensuring peace that is sustainable in the region, the Ijaw Women advised that the relevant authorities in government should redirect all their energies to ensure the smooth take-off of projects in the riverine communities.
Some of these projects according to DIWI includes but not limited to the Nigeria Maritime University, NMU, Okerenkoko; the Gbaramatu Deep Sea Port and the Escravos Export Processing Zone, EPZ.
Setting all these projects listed above will automatically translate to the establishment of a sustainable peace and will attract people to the region which will further lead to its development, the group stated.
The group, therefore, called on the relevant authorities especially the Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Tukur Yusuf Buratai, to ensure that such exercise as muted by the Army Director of Public Relation does not take place as it will be to the detriment of the good and law-abiding people of the Niger Delta.
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