By Francis Sadhere
…Appeals to Otuaro to Use Position to Attract Devt to his area
An Ijaw leader, Apostle (Dr.) Clement Tonfawei has called on his Ijaw brothers in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State to embrace peace and create a conducive environment for meaningful development.
He said Ijaws in the Niger Delta region, most especially, Delta State, should stop fighting one another and unite as one to fight their common enemies, the multinational oil companies and the Federal Government.
Apostle Tonfawei who spoke to our correspondent at his country home in Oporoza, Headquarters of Warri South West local Government, lamented that the Ijaws, instead of coming together and be united, they were busy fighting each other and allowing their enemies to take advantage of their disunity to fight them.
“There is a cold war going on in Gbaramatu kingdom and we need to take all necessary steps to address it. If we do not address it now, our enemies will use the advantage to destroy Gbaramatu kingdom.
“I am using this opportunity to call on the Gbaramatu chiefs and leaders to organize a forum where all Gbaramatu people will come together to discuss our problems so that we can be strong,” Tonfawei said.
He also condemned the way and manner the Nigerian military allegedly go about arresting people in Gbaramatu kingdom, saying that most of the people arrested were innocent people who do not know anything about Niger Delta Avengers.
He said, “The people of Gbaramatu kingdom are living in fear every day because nobody is safe any more. Our people are being arrested by the military anyhow they like. So majority of us are living in fear because we do not know who is next.”
He therefore, called on President Mohammadu Buhari to use his office to secure the release of students and mechanics arrested by the military during the search for members of the Niger Delta Avengers in Gbaramatu kingdom on May 28,2016.
“We want to use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to come to our rescue. The military is still arresting people. Some of my brothers were arrested few days ago and I do not believe that they are part of the Niger Delta Avengers. We know these persons because we meet everyday in Warri. I still believe that some of the arrests the military are making are wrong. Some of those arrested are poor mechanics who went to Gbaramatu to earn a living,” he said.
Speaking on the alleged dialogue with representatives of Niger Delta Avengers, Apostle Tonfawei condemned the dialogue, saying such dialogue with some Niger Delta leaders would not lead to peace in the region.
He said continues dialogue with the same leaders that have failed the region will only lead to more chaos in the region, adding that such leaders have failed the people.
He appealed to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to as a matter of urgency deploy all arsenals available to the government to the oil producing areas and begin massive development of the areas.
Speaking on the position of the Delta State Deputy Governor as an Ijaw man, Apostle Tonfawei urged Barr. Kingsley Otuaro to use his position to influence the state government and bring development to the oil bearing riverine communities.
“I want to use this medium to appeal to the deputy governor to take advantage of his position. The purpose of the Ijaws making him the deputy governor is for him to protect their interest. If the state government fails to develop our area, we will not hold Okowa responsible. It is the deputy governor that we will hold responsible because he is one of our own.
“We all know that the oil bearing communities have nothing to show for the oil taken from their communities. If it were not for the amnesty programme, we would not have known that we have brilliant students in Gbaramatu kingdom who came out with first class degrees from Benson Idahosa University.”
He noted that Oporoza, being the Headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom and host to major oil companies was ripe for a Federal University and other basic social amenities to give the people a sense of belonging.
He also called on his Ijaw brothers to stop fanning the embers of war between them and the Itsekiris noting that they are all brothers and sisters who have intermarried and have been living together before the Warri crisis.
“Before the Warri crisis the Ijaws and the Itsekiris we’re living together as brothers and sisters. We have intermarried with we each other and we have become brothers. The Itsekiris should stop fighting the Ijaws and vice versa. We have to come together as one and fight as one and remain strong. Look at the Itsekiri villages and the Ijaw villages around the riverine areas, there are no roads, no schools, no hospitals, no nothing, yet we busy fighting each other. This has to stop,” the Ijaw leader said.
He stressed that arm struggle will not make them achieve the needed development being clamoured for in the Niger Delta struggle.
