Samuel Oyadongha
8 January 2009
The committee set up to resolve the warring parties in the lingering Nembe Bassambiri feud is to reconvened in a fortnight even as aggrieved women of the community yesterday voiced their displeasure before members of the committee put in place by the Bayelsa State government, threatening to go naked and place curse on those thwarting the peace moves.
The oil and gas rich coastal community has been the theatre of violent youth clashes lately leading to the destruction of lives and property.
Troubled by the escalating tension in the area, the state government Sunday summoned a stakeholders meeting in Yenagoa which had in attendance, traditional rulers, representatives of the various youth bodies, commander of the JTF in the state and the state deputy Commissioner of Police among others with a view to resolving the lingering factional crisis.
However the peace committee headed by the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass, King Alfred Diette-Spiff directed that the status quo of the youth body be maintained and more troops deployed in the troubled area to allow for business activities to resume.
Speaking on behalf of the women of the community, Hon.Yeri Akrain told the committee members that the women and children of the community are angered by the poor handling of the crisis and that all their meetings with the traditional ruler of the area and the state government was futile.
She said the women groups in the community had shelved their planned protest in the state capital against the poor handling of the crisis because of the peace meeting called in the state capital.
She said "the women are annoyed and are afraid at the continued loss of human lives in the community. All of us had before the crisis degenerated visited the King's house but now no way. Instead of these youths to thwart the peace in the community and frustrate peace efforts that are on-going, we would go naked and place a curse on them."
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