By Uche Onyeali
West African Action Network on Small Arms, WAANSA, has called the Pan Niger Delta Forum to team up with the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere and other socio-cultural organisations to curtail escalation of crises among ethnic nationalities in the country.
The Regional 1st Vice President of WAANSA, Comrade Martin Igwe made this call during a visit to the PANDEF national chairman, Ambassador Godknows Igali, in his in Abuja on Friday.
Igwe noted that the essence of the visit was to collaborate with PANDEF, as a beacon of peace in the Niger Delta, in the WAANSA road map for peace in the oil region.
“We cannot talk about peace today in Niger Delta without talking about PANDEF, and as a friend of the association today, we are initiating a road map for peace in the Niger Delta, and we are taking the route of PANDEF for that initiative.
“We cannot have development in this country without peace; and when your name was mentioned as the new PANDEF chairman, we felt that that has made our work very easy,” he said.
Igwe, who hinted that the visit had tripartite mission, as WAANSA was using the opportunity to condole with the Niger Delta and Nigerians on the passing of elder statesman PANDEF leader, Pa Edwin Clark.
Describing Chief Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for Information, as a father and patriot, Igwe particularly condoled with Amb. Igali, whom he expressed confidence in his capacity to stand on the legacies of the late Niger Delta leader in piloting the affairs of the region.
He further intimated the former Minister of Water Resources that WAANSA is a network of non-governmental organisations working towards peace and security in the ECOWAS sub-region.
The WAANSA 1st regional vice president expressed sadness over what he described as “pockets of avoidable conflicts” plaguing every part of Nigeria, especially the recent occurrence in Uromi, Edo State, in which some travellers were lynched by a mob who mistook them for kidnappers.
While condemning the act, Igwe however frowned at politicisation of the incident through unguided utterances.
Igwe noted that the network feels concerned over any conflict which he said could serve as fertile ground for proliferation of small arms and escalation of violent crisis.
In response, Amb. Igali, also a former permanent secretary, commended WAANSA for its work and support in effort at curtailing to the barest minimum proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Citing the cases of Libya and Chad, which he blamed for the deluge of weapons into Nigeria, thereby exacerbating the hitherto manageable violent crises in the country, with the emergence of various terrorist groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State West African Province, ISWAP, among others.
Igali, who also decried other violent conflicts such as sea piracy in the gulf of Guinea, which has crippled business operations in that region, promised to support and work with WAANSA to ensure a saner society from of violent conflicts.
He used the opportunity to express appreciation for the acknowledgement giving to the life Pa Clark, which he said was full of patriotism, adding that the late elder statesman stood for the truth irrespective of who was involved.
Earlier introducing the WAANSA delegates to the PANDEF leader, the Director of Programmes, Engr. Chidi Francisco George-Okoli disclosed that the network is domesticated under the Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECOWAS Commission.
