Petitions/Press Releases

Urhobo-Ijaw Crisis: Udu Youth Council Condemns Attack, Sues For Peace

By Alltimepost.com

Udu Youth Council, an umbrella body of all Udu Youths, both at home and abroad has condemned in its entirety, the recent alleged onslaught on Ayama and Epame Communities by the Isaba and Ogbe-Ijoh Communities of Ijaw and called for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
The organization is also calling on the Government to step in and ensure a peaceful resolution of the dispute between Aladja, Ayama, Epame, Ogbe-Ijaw and Isaba communities, all of Delta State, Nigeria.
At the end of its meeting on November 24, 2016, the organization issued the following statement, which it recently made available to Alltimepost.com:
In a meeting today 24th November, 2016 where the dispute between the Aladja, Ayama, Epame and Isaba and Ogbe-Ijoh communities were reviewed and a position was taken as follows:
1) The Udu Youth Council condemns in its entirety the recent onslaught on Ayama and Epame Communities by the Isaba and Ogbe-Ijoh Communities of Ijaw.
2) That Udu Youths (Urhobo) are not at war with their Ijaw neighbors or anybody.
3) Udu youths sue for peace and call on all especially our Ijaw neighbors residing in Udu to go about their normal businesses while also calling on Government and all relevant authorities to do the needful by providing adequate security in the affected areas.
4) Government should ensure that the Ayama and Epame people are relocated back to their various communities.
5) Government should rebuild the communities and resettle the Ayama and Epame people as they are now Internally Displaced People (IDP).
6) We call on IYC and all Ijaws to caution Mr. Frank Omare and Boro Opudu in other not to plunge the Urhobos and Ijaws into unwanted crisis which effect would be very devastating.
7) We also call on Government, NEMA and other bodies to provide relief materials for the Ayama and Epame people as Internally Displace People (IDP).
8) We call on all Isaba and Ogbe-Ijoh people who have forcefully occupied Epame and Ayama communities of Udu L.G.A to immediately evacuate to enable the Epame and Ayama people to go back to their homes.
9) That Udu people (Urhobo) have a long standing relationship with their Ogbe-Ijoh and Isaba (Ijaw) neighbors and have been living in harmony and would continue to live peacefully.
10) We call on all Udu Youths to remain calm and peaceful.
11) As for hoodlums who may take advantage of the situation in Udu to cause mayhem and criminalities, please you are WARNED to desist as UYC will make the area unsafe for you.
12) We urge the drum-beaters of war because of their selfish interests to have a rethink and channel their energies to productive ideologies as crisis will not yield any positive outcome. The case of the tribal war between the Hutus and Tutsis of Rwanda is still very fresh in our memory.

Signed:
Comr. Freeborn Ovwemejepha UYC President
Comr. Tegolor Yembra Otito. UYC P R O
Comr. Vincent O. Omoko UYC Spokesman
Comr. Malik Otete. UYC Coordinator