Mkpoikana Udoma
25 February 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — In a bid to curtail crises and conflicts looming in Ogoniland following the planned cleanup and resumption of oil exploration in the area, the people of Ogoni have been advised to seek for dialogue towards resolving conflict.
A group known as Academic Associates PeaceWorks, AAP, who gave the advice in a townhall meeting in Ogoni, said no nation can develop in the face of violence, adding that conflicts have held Ogoni back from development.
Speaking, the Facilitator of AAP, Dr. Judy Asuni, explained that the best way to achieve success and total peace was to always engage the people and educate them on the importance of peace in the area.
Asuni stressed the need for effective collaboration in the area, noting that through engagement and dialgue, conflicts that may arise during the cleanup and the planned resumption of oil exploration in the area would be controlled.
According to her, “I think sometimes the people of Ogoni are a disadvantaged group. Sometimes too we see Ogonis fighting among themselves which is why we need to discuss collaboration to develop Ogoniland.
“There is Ogoni clean up and this is focus on violence that may arise of the development and there are a lot of complains on what has made the cleanup not have commenced till date.
“The Ogonis have to decide for themselves what they want and the answers to their problems are within the them. We are facilitating the process to ensure that peace and development returns in the area,” Dr. Asuni said.
Also speaking, the chairman of the event, Prof. Barineme Fakae, sued for unity among the people of Ogoni, harping on the need for people to know and respect the value systems of the society.
Fakae who is a former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University, emphasised the need for the people of Ogoni to focus on themselves as a people in management of conflicts.
“Anybody who blames conflicts in Ogoni on external forces is not being serious.
“Yes, there are temptations, but no matter how you tempt me I must know the value of my people. This is why we talk about love for the community and love for where you come from,” Fakae said.
