From Douglas Blessing, Port Harcourt
A coalition of Ogoni women under the aegis of “Ogoni Women Peace Forum” has called for total peace and stability in the area.
The women ethnic group expressed concern over the rate of insecurity in the area, stressing the need to stop the incessant killing of indigenes of Ogoni.
Coordinator of the group, Dr Patience Osaro-Ejiji made the call in Port Harcourt, during a peace meeting organised by Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, WANEP and WICC, in commemoration of the International Day of Peace.
Dr Osaro-Ejiji who also expressed worrisome over the disunity among Ogonis over the leadership of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, stressed that such actions will not attract development to the area.
She said “We are deeply concerned about the worsening state of insecurity in Ogoni. Women and girls are daily being raped, kidnapped and some killed. Chiefs are being targeted, youths fighting and killing one another and no action is being taken to stop these.
“Communities are falling apart, people dying but nobody seems to care. More worrisome is the level of disunity among our leaders especially the fragmentation of MOSOP leadership, the umbrella body of the Ogoni struggle.
“We the Ogoni mother’s use this forum and the occasion of the International Day of Peace to call on all Ogonis to drop their differences and rally together to stamp out killings and all conflicts in Ogoniland so we can continue the pursuit of the true Ogoni dream”, Dr Osaro-Ejiji pleaded.
However, the Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, Emem Okon, in her speech disclosed “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable Ogoni”, as this year’s theme for the Peace programme.
Emem urged the Ogoni women to mobilise and work with other stakeholders to take actions to create an atmosphere of peace in the land.
She further advised “Ogoni people to shun violence and divisions among themselves in the light of peace”.
