BY EBI NIEKETIEN/RITA OYIBOKA
A one-time Secretary to Delta State Government (SSG), Comrade Ovuozourie Macaulay, has warned against the resurgence of crisis in Warri, cautioning that the state could not afford the devastating consequences of another round of ethnic hostilities.
Macaulay, who played a central role in restoring peace during the protracted Warri crisis between 1997 and 2004 while serving as Commissioner for Special Duties (Conflict Resolution) under Governor James Ibori, described the experience as one he would not wish to recall.
Recounting his experience, he said: “It was a very difficult experience. Navigating through the creeks, bringing the fighters out of the trenches, was not an easy thing. I had sleepless nights, but I believe in strong tasks, especially when you give me the free hand to navigate.
“Getting the Itsekiris to sit down with the Ijaws was not easy. I remember the late Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli II. He gave me all his support. He was the first to give me a committee to work with.
‘’I also remember the late E.K. Clark. Though it took us time, we quarreled, but finally he gave me his team, and that was how we started the negotiation at the Navy Barracks in Warri. Because they had the only secure place where you could hold such meetings with the presence of the Navy inside their yard.
‘’And while we were doing that, you could hear the explosions across the river. People were dying, and properties were being destroyed. Then I started moving into the creeks. I had two young men that helped me navigate the river because they knew the river. So most times when I was going into the river to meet with some of those youths, they would be the ones to stand in front of the boat. Reflecting on today’s realities, Macaulay warned that another crisis in Warri would be deadlier given the availability of sophisticated weapons and Nigeria’s porous borders.
“The world has gone more sophisticated. One man can bring down the whole of Warri in less than 24 hours. It was not as sophisticated then. However, today, with the porosity of our borders you can bring in submachine guns, submarines, consignments, everything overnight. And I don’t think that is what we want,” he said.
He urged leaders of the various ethnic nationalities to exercise maturity and avoid sacrificing the hard-earned peace for selfish interests, warning that renewed hostilities would erase the gains of the past two decades.
“No leader should think of himself. A leader should think of his subjects. It will be too early to destroy whatever gains we have made. It is less than 20 years since we resolved that crisis. Let us not go there. It won’t pay anybody,” Macaulay warned.
