By Ovie Okpare
The Urhobo Renaissance Society (URS) has called on the traditional rulers of Warri South Local Government Area in Delta State to urgently come together to address the rising tensions in Warri Metropolis following recent killings and boundary disputes.
In a press statement signed by the President, Prof. Joseph Abugu, SAN, and General Secretary, Dr. John Uwa, the URS expressed deep concern over the brewing conflict, urging the Orodje of Okpe, the Olu of Warri, the Ovie of Agbara Warri, the Orosuen of Okere Urhobo, and the Amakusu of Ogbe Ijaw to convene a peace meeting aimed at restoring lasting harmony.
URS said the roundtable meeting will help to douse the rising tension in the city and promote peace among the three indigenous tribes of Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaw ethnic nationalities in Warri South local government area.
The Society described the situation as a threat to the relative peace enjoyed by the Urhobo, Ijaw, and Itsekiri communities in Warri South and warned against a repeat of the ethnic crises of the late 1990s.
“Arising from our meeting on the on the brewing tension in Warri, culminating in the recent killing and boundary disputes, we, the entire leadership and membership of the Urhobo Renaissance Society make a strong call on the four traditional rulers in Warri South Local Government Area to come to a roundtable in order to have a sincere conversation on how to manage the brewing tension in Warri and to institute a lasting peace for development.
“It is our fervent belief that such a gesture will not only send the right signal to their subjects and critical stakeholders on the need for peace and development, it will also disabuse the mind of the public on what many see as complicit silence from the traditional rulers”, the statement said.
It specifically called on the Chairman of the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council and Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Major General Felix Mujakperuo (Rtd), Orhue 1, to spearhead the peace initiative, leveraging his highly revered position as a top ranking monarch in Nigeria.
The statement stressed that the traditional rulers should engage in mutual visits and dialogue to promote inter-ethnic understanding, de-escalate tensions, and foster unity among the people of Warri South.
“We believe that building bridges and fostering inter-ethnic unity is the primary responsibility of our traditional rulers. Geographically, God has bonded the ethnic nationalities of Urhobo, Ijaw and Itsekiri in Warri South LGA as a dwelling place whose relative peace is now being threatened by ethnic prejudices, factors and elements that gave rise to the Warri crises of late 1990s; God forbid a repeat of that history.
“Therefore, we call on our traditional rulers in Warri to reach out across the kingdoms in Warri. We encourage the Olu of Warri, the Ovie of Agbara Warri, the Orosuen of Okere Urhobo and the Amakusu of Ogbe Ijaw to extend or exchange visits across their respective kingdoms to make assurances and reassurances of peace, fairness and justice.
“We seek the hand of the Orodje of Okpe in midwifing a peace meeting and accord between the royal fathers in Warri South LGA. We believe that such royal engagement between the kings in Warri South L.G.A. will achieve the following:
“Promote Inter-Ethnic Understanding; as such dialogue and interaction can dispel misconceptions and build trust among the different ethnic groups; De-escalate Tensions; since the show of goodwill and commitment to peaceful resolution can help reduce tensions and prevent further conflicts; And foster Unity; because by reaching out to all segments of Warri South, the four royal fathers can promote a sense of belonging and unity among the people.”
The URS reiterated its commitment to peace and development in Warri and Nigeria, and urged the rulers to act swiftly to avoid further escalation.
