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Ijaw Students Fault Calls for Polls in Warri LGs

Vanguard (Lagos)
NEWS
September 28, 2004
Posted to the web September 28, 2004

By Emma Amaize
Warri
NATIONAL Association of Gbaramatu Students (NAGS), yesterday, faulted the
recent call by the National Association of Itsekiri Students (NAIS) on the
Delta State government to immediately conduct elections into the three Warri
local governments, submitting that the crisis that gave rise to the suspension
of the elections in the first instance by the government has not been resolved.
.
NAGS in a statement, signed by its President and Secretary, Messrs Pondi Kestin
and Bebenimibo Paul said "the act of forcing government to implement or carry
out what will not bring peace to Warri is very common with the Itsekiri. That
is why their statement is not a shock to the Ijaw of Warri."
The Ijaw students asked what the state government had done to warrant the
suspension of elections in the affected local governments: "Is it the lopsided
electoral ward delineation exercise carried out by the Delta State Independent
Electoral Commission (DSIEC) against the Ijaw of Warri South-West who have 63
percent while the Itsekiri have 37 per cent of the 1991 operational population
census figures or the withheld development administrative committees of Warri
or what?", they queried.
"We have found out that the Itsekiri are bent on taking the Ijaw of Warri for a
ride, which the Ijaw will not condone. To this end, we declare as follows: We
hereby pass a vote of no confidence on the Kingsley Otuaro-led Warri-Ijaw-
Itsekiri Grassroots Peace Front (WIIGPF), hence we ask the Ijaw in the
committee to pull out with immediate effect.
"We also pass a vote of no confidence on all Ijaw political office holders in
the three Warri local governments and ask them to resign their appointments for
their own good as the state government lacks the will to solve the Warri
crisis.
"We condemn the recent so-called illegal occupants payment exercise in Warri
and declare the Commissioner for Special Duties on Inter-Ethnic Relations and
Conflict Resolution, Mr. Ovozuorie Macaulay as unfit for the office and ask
Governor James Ibori to sack him with immediate effect. The exercise is
insignificant to the resolution of the Warri crisis", the association stated.

   

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