The President General of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof. Benjamin Okaba, has inaugurated a seven-man Peace and Reconcilatory Committee to investigate the root causes of the violent clash that occurred during the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Eastern Zone Chairmanship election on September 14.
Okaba, during the inauguration in Abuloma in Rivers State, on Thursday, said the bloody clash, which resulted in six deaths, was a stark reminder of the destructive potential of disunity within the ethnic nationality.
While regretting the incident, Okaba emphasized the urgent need to address the underlying issues that led to the violence before it cascades to worse violence.
He noted that ethnic disunity over an individual’s interests can have far-reaching consequences for the Ijaw people.
However, the Peace and Reconcilatory Committee, is chaired by former INC President Joshua Fumudoh, and IYC’s pioneer president, Felix Tuodolo, as Secretary of the committee.
The committee was tasked with uncovering the remote causes of the Abuloma upheavals and recommending lasting solutions.
Okaba charged the committee to engage key actors and stakeholders, preaching Ijaw unity and reconciliation.
He said: “The Committee is to dig deep towards the remote causes of the recent Abuloma upheavals and recommend lasting solutions and most importantly suggest ways of averting a recurrence crisis of this nature not only in Abuloma but in all parts of Ijaw land. How do we avert a crisis like this, it should be the responsibility of this committee.
“To also reconcile all parties either political, sub-ethnic, economic, and whatever is causing division amongst our people, let us identify them and also address them.
“To practically take steps by way of visitation and engagement with whoever they consider as principal actors or key stakeholders.”
Prof. Okaba called on all Ijaw individuals to support and cooperate with the committee.
He tasked the Zonal EXCO and Clan EXCOs in the Eastern Zone to provide an enabling environment and assist in identifying stakeholders.
On his part, the Chairman of the committee, Fumudoh, assured that the committee is ready to take the task ahead, promising that they are willing to put all their energy into it and to conclude the matter peacefully and amicably.
