By Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
The Ijaw community Gelegele, Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State have dissociated themselves from the purported attacks on some of its leaders who met with Governor Godwin Obaseki over the crisis between Ijaw communities in the state.
The ijaws and Benin traditional council have been on war path over the ownership of land and the contention that Ijaw kingdom is not under the Benin traditional council headed by the Oba of Benin.
Last Wednesday, a leader from Gelegele, Prince Barbs Pawuru, led other persons in the community to a peace meeting with Obaseki.
At the meeting, he commended the governor for the heart-to-heart meeting with them and expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting.
Pawuru said Ijaw people are peace-loving people and are ready to work with the state government to ensure law and order in the community.
“We highlighted the issues and the governor understood them, we are so satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, we are going home to tell our people we should embrace peace. The Ijaw people are peace loving people, we want peace, but there cannot be peace with injustice,†Paruwa stated.
But in a statement yesterday by the Gelegele Elders Council which was signed by their spokesman, Chief Macaulay Ayiwe, said the purported elders who met with the governor was in their individual capacity and not on behalf of the entire Ijaw communities in the state.
While noting that they remain committed to the peaceful co-existence with the government and people of the state, the statement also stressed that they are not averse to peaceful resolution of the problem at hand.
According to the statement, “The government in its approach to resolving the fundamental issues that have lingered for some time regarding the Benin Traditional Council, Office of the Governor and the Ijaws in Edo should be treated with caution based on the sensitivity of the matter on ground.
According to the statement, “The government in its bid to heal the already created wounds in the heart of the ijaws who supported his election, is fully aware of channels of conflict resolution through constituted bodies and individuals.â€
The statement listed such bodies and persons to include, traditional council, Ijaw National Congress (INC), Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), and elders and community leaders, who were all absent at the purported meeting with the governor.
It went further to advise that the position of the ijaws regarding the issues on ground should not be in any way undermined.
“We as Ijaws in Edo are in dire need of peace which we believe will help to foster economic growth and development in our long neglected oil rich region and the entire state.
“We never intend to hamper or deny the laudable works of Edo State governor, but to consolidate on the good plans promised us during his electioneering.
“We look forward to the meeting between government and elders and leaders of Ijaws communities in Edo as promised by the governor,†the statement said.
