The reoccurring issuance of threats must stop, 'Gentle Lion' cautions Gbaramatu Youth Council

A former Niger Delta Agitator and leader in Deghele Community, Warri South - West Local Government Area of Delta State, Comrade Smart Amola Ani A.K.A. Gentle Lion, has called on Gbaramatu Youth Council, GYC, to stop what he described as the reoccurring decimal of issuing threats to people of Deghele and other Itsekiris in the Abiteye axis at every slightest opportunity, saying nobody has the monopoly of violence or afraid of war.

Gentle Lion, who handed down the warning in a statement made available to Fresh Angle International this afternoon, Sunday April 18, noted: "Itsekiris have done everything and sacrificed so much politically and otherwise, just to foster peace between us and our Ijaw neighbours, yet at the slightest opportunity, the Ijaw of Gbaramatu, particularly our neighbours in Benekruku, would either issue threats to our people or evacuate them from Abiteye and its environs in a show of power and perceived supremacy, just as they just did."

While condemning the reported beating of war drum by the Gbaramatu Youth Council over the proposed JIV by Chevron Nigeria Limited, Comrade Smart Amola Ani, warned: "The disagreement we couldn't manage, led to the infamous Itsekiri/ Ijaw crisis between 1997 to 2003, of which several lives were lost from both sides of the divide, property worth millions of naira destroyed with impunity. The Itsekiris are yet to fully recover from the trauma and agony."

He added: "The Itsekiris at large see the need to live in peace with them (Gbaramatu Ijaws) as our brothers and neighbours, not because of cowardice as they may have imagined, nor stupidity, but because we believe it is necessary to do so. We and them, have a common destiny as a people, we suffer the same challenges and deprivations from the International Oil and Gas Companies and can only achieve our ultimate goal of development of our difficult terrain, if we work together in an atmosphere of peace and mutual respect for each other. Instead of making unguarded and provocative utterances, capable of igniting another round of ethnic crisis".

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