—We will block the creeks with our women
—Says Enough Is Enough
The Delta Ijaw Women Initiative (DIWI), yesterday in Warri, Delta State reiterated her earlier position to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the military authority to halt any plans to carry out their ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ in the Niger Delta region.
DIWI made this known when its President and Spokesperson, Hon. Ebimaye Bebenimibo and Comrade Ebi Adams visited GbaramatuVoice on Friday 22nd September 2017.
According to Hon Ebimaye, ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ is not what the people of Niger Delta region are yearning for at this time but massive development of the region.
Pointing out the dangers of going ahead with the plan, the Delta state 2019 House of Assembly hopeful warned that failure of the government or her military agencies to heed this call will leave us with no other option other than to mobilize our women in the creeks to protest against this great injustice or inhuman treatment.
Continuing, she said that DIWI, which is an association of Ijaw women from riverine communities in the Niger Delta will not allow our women this time around to be subjected to any ill-treatment as previously done by the military authorities, whether directly or indirectly.
“In the light of the above, the group is saying enough is enough of these drills which are inimical to the peace we enjoyed in the region when crude oil exploration had not begun”.
The visibly angered Hon. Ebimaye when asked by our Reporter how she feels talking about this same issue over and over again, explained that it is unfortunate that since oil exploration and its related activities began in our region, it has brought nothing but sorrows, tears, and blood.
She further informed GbaramatuVoice that the Federal Government should be grateful to the Niger Delta region for massively contributing her quota in terms of revenues for the sustenance and development of our nation to which the Niger Delta is greatly marginalized.
Ebimaye, a businesswoman turned politician pointed out that the situation as it exists today is not our making but a creation of the Federal Government who refused to play their roles by neglecting the development of the region and the provision of jobs.
To support the above position as advanced, the group spokesperson, Comrade Ebi Adams emphasized that the region is in a sorry state because the Federal Government has failed in her responsibilities thereby turning the region into a slum. But thank God that the world is aware that, the emergence of a slum is an indication that the government of the day is failing in her primary responsibilities.
Warning that soon oil will no longer be relevant, Comrade Adams advised that, the government should begin to use the proceeds from crude oil to build infrastructures to sustain a non-oil economy rather than use it to import arms into the region to intimidate us.
Maintaining their stand, the Group’s Spokesperson finally re-emphasized in strong terms that DIWI will not allow the military to come down to any of our communities as they promise to block the creeks if they dare come with their ‘Operation Crocodile Smile.’
It could be recalled that ever since the Nigerian Armed Forces threatened to launch ‘Operation Crocodile Smile”, DIWI, a vanguard of women in the Niger Delta region has been at the forefront of the struggle trying to pressurize the military to reconsider their plan.
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