We aren’t scared of Itsekiri youth’s Deghele Declaration — Gbaramatu-Ijaw By Emma Amaize WARRI—GBARAMATU-IJAW communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, said they were not scared of the Deghele Declaration by youths from over 250 Itsekiri communities, to defend violently, if the need arises, their territories and oil resources against all aggressors, both internal and external. Chairmen of Gbaramatu communities, who spoke through their chairman, Mr. Sheriff Mulade, described the declaration as “empty, baseless and watery.” Itsekiri youths had, in June, issued a 21-day ultimatum tagged Operation Jigini, to put in place machinery to accomplish every component of the Deghele Declaration in a manner that no one will ever envisage. But following the intervention of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, they suspended further action on the ultimatum to enable the monarch discuss their grievances with government and other affected parties. Ogiame Ikenwoli, who returned to the country recently, met with acting President Yemi Osinbajo, before his overseas trip, but the outcome of the discussions were not made public. Mulade, also chairman of oil-rich Kokodiagbene community, said: “The Ijaw are aware of the plan by the Itsekiri to attack oil installations in their areas so as to attract the attention of Federal Government and international community, particularly security agents to put our communities under siege to enable them launch attack on our communities.” According to him: “Deghele Declaration is a cheap political cry to attract undue sympathy to sustain their lies, we, therefore, implore them not to beat the drums of war again, we need to work together for the development of our areas.” “Itsekiris should realize now that they are responsible for the several crises that have led to the underdevelopment of Warri and environs because of their fictitious, frivolous, fraudulent Kangaroo claims and cooked up judgments through impostors of on our land,” he added. Mulade asserted: “I advise our Itsekiri neighbours to learn to live in peace and forget their unnecessary ethnic pride. The Itsekiris should not make us regret harbouring and accommodating them; we believe they know their origin from Benin in Edo state.” “Nigerians and the International Community are already aware of their fake claims of people’s territory as land grabbing proclivity, we are not planning to evacuate or drive them from our territory, and our forefathers accommodated them as settlers and friends, which we will equally extend to the present generation of Itsekiris in Gbaramatu kingdom,” he said. Itsekiri youths in the Declaration had avowed: “We do not have problems with any of our neighbours in this regard and therefore they should not in any way distract our struggle.” They, however, demanded: “All major oil companies operating within the Warri Kingdom must as a matter of urgency enter into fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with their host communities to correct the lopsidedness inherent in the current MOUs if they want to operate in an atmosphere of peace.” The youths expressed their readiness “to recover every inch of Itsekiri land and territory from interlopers, ungrateful customary tenants, et al, since the Federal and State governments have refused, neglected and failed to do the needful and take steps to rectify all blatant anomalies and provocative actions against our people and our land” “We intend to employ the same anarchical means to recover them and restore the status quo ante bellum,” it said, adding: “We have come to realize regretfully that the only language the government of Nigeria seems to understand and reward abundantly is violence,” they said. According to them: “As a result of these many years of oppression, deprivation and gross marginalization, the leadership of the INYC is determined to take steps to right these callous and deliberate wrongs against the Itsekiri nation.” The post We aren’t scared of Itsekiri youth’s Deghele Declaration — Gbaramatu-Ijaw appeared first on Vanguard News. from Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2u7T0Zp via Naijapounds

By Emma Amaize

WARRI—GBARAMATU-IJAW  communities in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, said they were not scared of the Deghele Declaration by youths from over 250 Itsekiri communities, to defend violently, if the need arises, their territories and oil resources against all aggressors, both internal and external.

Chairmen of Gbaramatu communities, who spoke through their chairman, Mr. Sheriff Mulade, described the declaration as “empty, baseless and watery.”

Itsekiri youths had, in June,    issued a 21-day ultimatum tagged Operation Jigini, to put in place machinery to accomplish every component of the Deghele Declaration in a manner that no one will ever envisage. But following the intervention of the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli, they suspended further action on the ultimatum to enable the monarch discuss their grievances with government and other affected parties.

Ogiame Ikenwoli, who returned to the country recently, met with acting President Yemi Osinbajo, before his overseas trip, but the outcome of the discussions were not made public.

Mulade, also chairman of oil-rich Kokodiagbene community, said: “The Ijaw are  aware of the plan by the Itsekiri to attack oil installations in their areas so as   to attract the attention of Federal Government and international community, particularly security agents to put our communities under siege to enable them launch attack on our communities.”

According to him:    “Deghele Declaration is a cheap political cry to attract undue sympathy to sustain their lies, we,    therefore,    implore them not to beat the drums of   war again, we need to work together for the development of our areas.”

“Itsekiris should realize now that they are responsible for the several crises that have led to the underdevelopment of Warri and environs because of their fictitious, frivolous, fraudulent Kangaroo claims and cooked up judgments through impostors of on our land,” he added.

Mulade asserted: “I advise our  Itsekiri neighbours to learn to live in peace and forget their unnecessary ethnic pride. The Itsekiris should not make us regret harbouring and accommodating them; we believe they know their origin from Benin in Edo state.”

“Nigerians and the International Community are already aware of their fake claims of people’s territory as land grabbing proclivity, we are not planning to evacuate or drive them from our territory, and our forefathers accommodated them as settlers and friends, which we will equally extend to the present generation of Itsekiris in Gbaramatu kingdom,” he said.

Itsekiri youths in the Declaration had avowed: “We do not have problems with any of our neighbours in this regard and therefore they should not in any way distract our struggle.”

They, however, demanded: “All major oil companies operating within the Warri Kingdom must as a matter of urgency enter into fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) with their host communities to correct the lopsidedness inherent in the current MOUs if they want to operate in an atmosphere of peace.”

The youths expressed their readiness “to recover every inch of Itsekiri land and territory from interlopers, ungrateful customary tenants, et al, since the Federal and State governments have refused, neglected and failed to do the needful and take steps to rectify all blatant anomalies and provocative actions against our people and our land”

“We intend to employ the same anarchical means to recover them and restore the status quo ante bellum,” it said, adding: “We  have come to realize regretfully that the only language the government of Nigeria seems to understand and reward abundantly is violence,” they said.

According to them: “As a result of these many years of oppression, deprivation and gross marginalization, the leadership of the INYC is determined to take steps to right these callous and deliberate wrongs against the Itsekiri nation.”

The post We aren’t scared of Itsekiri youth’s Deghele Declaration — Gbaramatu-Ijaw appeared first on Vanguard News.

from Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2u7T0Zp
via Naijapounds