IJAW WOMEN CONDEMN WARRI CRISIS, BLAME GOVERNMENT

August 26, 2003 – (Vanguard – Lagos) Ijaw women of Niger Delta have condemned the renewed spate of violence in Warri and blamed the federal and Delta state governments for not putting a stop to the unending crisis.

In a statement signed by Mrs Bouma Ogan and Miss Kate Amapere, chairman and secretary respectively on behalf of Ijaw Women Vanguard in Lagos, the women said the delay in creating separate local governments for the three tribes, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo in the Warri area has prolonged the conflict. They commended the movement of troops to Warri to put a stop to the outbreak of hostilitis between the warring factions but argued that military action won't permanently solve the crisis unless the cry of marginalisation is addressed.

The women also called for a regular forum where all the tribes in the Niger Delta will be able to discuss and exchange views about the problems facing the region and the need for justice and equity to reign among them, stressing that such regular fora will remove the impression that one tribe exists at the mercy of another.

The Ijaw women further said the federal government and Niger Delta governors were not doing enough on youth employment in the region.

They challenged the governors to mention the number of industries established in the region since 1999, lamenting that the absence of industries and other forms of empowerment had caused serious unrest in the region.

The women urged the federal government and other donor agencies to hasten the provision of relief materials to all categories of victims of the recent mayhem in Warri and that women and children have been facing untold hardship since the beginning of hostilities.

"We are amazed that the federal government did not waste time in sending relief materials to the displaced people in Liberia during the Liberian crisis but for over one week, people in Warri area are facing starvation and disease without attention. This is unacceptable", they said.

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200308260380.html