SAN FRANCISCO, November 14, (THEWILL) – Foremost Ijaw youth organisation, the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) Worldwide, has warned youths from both the Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic nations in Delta State to refrain from activities and tendencies that could break the fragile peace in Warri .
IYC, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Eric Omare, noted that the EPZ crisis, if not properly handled, could lead to yet another bloody tribal crisis in Warri, warning that the horrible experience of the past should not be allowed to repeat itself.
IYC, however, appealed to President Goodluck Jonathan, Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan and other leaders in the Niger Delta region to rise up to the occasion and prevail on the various interests in the matter so as to prevent the already bad situation from becoming worse.
According to the statement, “The IYC notes that there is a brewing war between the Ijaws of Gbaramatu and Ogulagha Kingdoms on one hand and the Itsekiris of Ugborodo over the title and protection of stakeholders’ interest in the project.
“The IYC’s position is that the contending issues between the Ijaws and Itsekiris should not be allowed to scuttle the laudable idea of siting a multi-billion naira EPZ project in Delta State, which would improve the economy of Delta State and the Niger-Delta in general.
“Therefore, the IYC calls on President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and other Niger-Delta leaders to as a matter of urgency engage the relevant stakeholders with a view to resolving the contending issues to allow the project kick-off of the project in earnest.
“We do not want a repeat of the ugly past in Warri where the Ijaws and Itsekiris who are supposed to be neighbours killed themselves and destroyed properties worth millions of naira. We strongly believe that the Ijaws and Itsekiris can live together and manage projects as stakeholders as was done with the Escravos Gas to Liquid Project (EGTL) that was executed in the same area a few years ago.
“We also call on government to set up a joint negotiation team between the Ijaws and Itsekiris, which would meet with government to resolve the contending issues. Ijaw and Itsekiri youths should be calm and refrain from any acts that would threaten the existing peace in the waterways of Delta State.”
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