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Ijaw Reject Peace Deal With Itsekiri, Cite Faulty Negotiations

Vanguard (Lagos)
NEWS
July 9, 2004
Posted to the web July 9, 2004

By Osaro Okhomina
Warri
Ijaws in the three Warri Local Government areas of Delta State yesterday
explained that they were opposed to the recent peace accord reached by some
Ijaw leaders and the Itsekiri on Warri crisis due to the insincerity of purpose
and faulty negotiations on contentious issues such as creation of autonomous
local government councils for the Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri by the peace
commitee.
According to the Ijaw leaders, drawn from the five clans of the Ijaw in Warri,
though the Ijaw support the peace moves initiated by the state government, they
remain resolute that the peace accord titled "The Dawn of a New Era" is null
and void and has no bearing on the Ijaw people in Warri.
The Ijaw in the three local Councils of Warri South, Warri South-West and Warri
North in a joint statement issued and signed by Chief Agric Itoko (Egbema),
Chief J.G. Orubu (Debiri), Chief F.P. Oweikpodor (Ogbe-Ijoh), Prince Philip
Tonfawei (Gbaramatu) and Chief Jerry Prebor (Meinbutu) in Warri, stated that
the Ijaw believe in the peace and stability of Warri and its environs, but
would not compromise its position on a sincere dialogue and negotiations as a
means of resolving the Warri crisis.
According to them, "whilst the Ijaws of the three Warri local government areas
believe that there should be peace, stability and harmony in Warri, this we
also believe could only be achieved through sincere dialogue and negotiations.
The resolution of any peace meeting should be agreed upon by all or a majority
of the affected people.
"But sadly enough, the documents mentioned was issued on the 23rd of June and
captioned 'The Dawn of a New Era' did not meet the aspirations of the people,
that is, the desire for a separate local government for the Ijaws, it is on the
strength of this, that we, on behalf of the Ijaws of the three Warri local
government areas frown at the contents and we discountenance all the content of
the above agreements and that it does not have the support of the people since
there was no consultation of any kind.
"More so", they added "the authority to represent the Ijaws of the three local
governments has since 14th March been withdrawn from those who signed the
document. And after a careful study of the document, it reveals that all or
some issues mentioned do not reflect the ardent position of the Ijaws of the
three local government areas of Warri."
On the issues of court judgments, the Ijaw described the numerous ones obtained
by the Itsekiri as fraudulent and preposterous, "since they are judgments from
cooked-up cases even though from our courts of law.
"They were all products of excessive manipulations of our people and obvious
use of government machinery and influence. Even what went to the Supreme Court
and later Privy Council were all the same manipulated cases from the lower
courts. Evidence of all the manipulations is with us and we have presented them
at several fora even to Mr. President. Therefore, they are unacceptable and we
do not recognize their existence and their effects."
They, however, pointed out that the issue of external interferences by non-
Warri Ijaw is an act of injustice and lack of fairness to any Ijaw person
living in the three Warri local government areas of the state. "A fine line of
demarcation will amount to injustice, inequity and lack of fairness. They were
all victims of the unprovoked attack on Ijaws. It is therefore inequitable and
unfair to describe their participation in the process or any other process as
external interference."

   

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