Ogbe-Ijoh/Aladja Crises: DICC Breaks Silence, Accuse Okowa Of Enjoying Killings
The umbrella body covering all Delta Ijaw human rights activists, operating under the aegis of Delta Ijaw Comrade Community (DICC) have accused His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State for enjoying the killings between the People of Ogbe-Ijoh and their neighbouring Aladja people both in Delta State.
This was contained in a statement personally signed and issued to newsmen in Warri yesterday by the President general of the Delta Ijaw Comrade Community (DICC), Amb. Comr. Binebai Yerin Princewill, on behalf of the group, a copy of which was sent to The Liberator Newspapers Worldwide.
Binebai particularly accused the Governor who is the Chief security officer of the state for not showing enough concern personally to end the crisis for good, stressing that the protection of lives and properties in the state ought to be his first priority.
“March 24th 2016 the war between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh reincarnated under the watch of Okowa as Governor of the state and since that time till date it is over five (5) years.
“The Delta Ijaw Comrade Community (DICC) believes in peaceful resolution of issues as the Ijaws and Urhobos are one hence there won’t be any need to fight among ourselves for a piece of land.
“Our Governor cannot claim not to be aware of the massive killings that had happened since 2016 to 2021, a scenario that have seen the lose of lives from both communities, at each strike, Delta State is losing future leaders.
“If all Deltans are looking forward to our dear Governor for his directives, what then is the cost for the Governor to end this crisis. Setting up a boundary committee is simply not enough as we need our Governor to personally act on this matter, enough is enough for the killings.
“We are tempted to ask on what could bother the Governor of a state more than when his people are in crisis under his watch, is the fight between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja Communties bigger than our Governor to settle?.
“Despites his activities across the state, it will be a very bad legacy if our dear Governor is unable to resolve this matter before living office as Governor of the state.
“Our worry for a Governor with many applauds is that for the six (6) years of his leadership in the state as Governor from May 29th 2015 till date, he has ruled for 6 years and some months out of which over five years has been a crisis for the people of Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja.
“We make bold to state that if the crises is between his people in Delta North, he would have find a way to resolve this matter long ago and not this one that he appears to be unconcerned about the killings.
“His Excellency, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan, former Governor of Delta State handed over a peaceful state to you and now there has been crises in this part shortly after you became the Governor of our state. Governor Okowa ought to be the best person to resolve this lingering age long communal battle because he is neither an Ijaw nor an Urhobo.” The Delta Ijaw Comrade Community stated.
It would be recalled that Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja had in 1996 embroiled in a bloody gun battle resulting to the massive deaths of indigenes from both communities leading to the burning down of Ogbe-Ijoh community before the gradual rebuilding of the community to what it is today.
