NIGERIA: IJAW NATIONAL CONGRESS USA Press Release


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PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Ijaw National Congress USA (INCUSA)
Office: 147-37 Union Turnpike, Suite 131, Flushing, NY 11367
Tel. 410 602-2720
Fax 410 602-3046
E-mail: incusa@aol.com

June 7, 1999

The Warri Crisis: Where We Stand

Since early 1997, the city of Warri and its environs in Delta State,
Nigeria has been the theater of a senseless communal warfare.  One of
the manifestations of the gross misrule of the Nigerian polity by the
Abacha dictatorship.  The beginning of this crisis started after the
creation and realignment of local governments (Counties) in 1997.  This 
process generated a lot of controversy leading to communal violence in 
several parts of Nigeria.  Though, other areas now have some semblance of 
peace, unfortunately the Warri area is yet to return to a state of 
tranquillity.

As an advocacy group for the interest of Ijaws, we in Ijaw National Congress 
USA (INCUSA), having critically reviewed the Warri crisis and believe it is 
imperative to publicly reemphasize our position on this issue.  First, it 
must be noted that INCUSA was established to articulate the concerns of 
Ijaws and other Niger-Delta minorities with respect to the environmental 
degradation, injustice and criminal neglect of our socio-economic needs by 
the Nigerian state in collusion with the multinational oil corporations. 
Without any prejudice to the struggle of the Ogbe-Ijohs in Warri, we have 
consistently
highlighted as paramount, the common problems facing all the oil-producing 
communities in Nigeria.  Also wherever possible we have appealed to the 
various groups in the conflict to lay down their arms and allow peace to 
prevail.

We have kept silent in spite of the deliberate campaign to portray Ijaws as 
violent, and perpetrators of all the atrocities in this conflict. This 
stance was taken for two reasons: first, since the people of the Niger-Delta 
face a common problem, we must resist the tactics of divide-and-rule being 
deployed by our common enemies.  Secondly, we believe that in order to 
create the possibility of future reconciliation between the different 
communities, cataloguing atrocities committed against Ijaws as a way of 
discrediting Itsekiri's makes such prospects more difficult.

Sadly this conflict persists, and lives of innocent defenseless citizens on 
both sides are being lost, properties are being destroyed. And, 
unfortunately the Itsekiri's are using this situation to embark on a 
campaign of calumny against the just and legitimate claims for redress of 
past injustices by the Nigerian governments and oil companies meted to 
Ijaws.  It is important for the world to note that against the backdrop of 
the local government debacle of 1997, was a festering situation of political 
impotence and marginalization felt by Ogbe-Ijohs in the hands of Itsekiri's 
in the affairs of Warri.  Due to their early romance with European 
colonialist, and support of Chief Obafemi Awolowo's political parties since 
the 50's, the Itsekiri's have enjoyed a disproportionate political clout 
against other groups (Urhobos and Ijaws) in the political administration of 
Warri when compared to their population.

We would like to state categorically, that we abhor the current violence 
leading to loss of lives and properties. We Ijaws have not, and are not on 
any genocidal campaign against any group. Neither do we have any 
expansionist territorial ambition.  Our overall interest is to live in peace 
and harmony with our neighbors.  But this can only occur when our political, 
economic, and cultural rights are recognized.  To this extent, particularly 
at the beginning of a civil democratic dispensation, we are calling on the 
State and Federal Governments respectively to intervene immediately to stop 
the wanton killing and destruction of properties.  An important step to 
achieve this goal is to commence the constitutional process to ascertain the 
claims of Ogbe-Ijohs for a local government, which to us is the only logical 
solution to this crisis.

End of statement

Francis Ebikefe Porbeni,
Director of Public Relations, Ijaw National Congress USA (INCUSA)

Mondy Sele Gold,
Secretary General, Ijaw National Congress USA (INCUSA)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

<<<<The Ijaws are a nation of more than twelve million people in the Niger 
Delta region of Nigeria. Since the discovery of crude oil in commercial 
quantity in Oloibiri (Ijawland) in 1958, oil companies such as Shell, AGIP, 
and Chevron have colluded with the military and successive governments of 
Nigeria to wage a war of economic exploitation, environmental degradation, 
and the institution
of internal colonialism.

The Ijaw National Congress is involved in the struggle to achieve cultural 
change and free the people of the Niger Delta, and the Ijaws in particular 
from decades of environmental pollution, political oppression, unjust and 
the archaic socio-economic structure. >>>>

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When I rise it will be with
the ranks and not from the ranks.
                --Eugene V. Debs

http://www.angelfire.com/mi/smilinks/thirdeye.html
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