URHOBO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
A MESSAGE

From

Chief Anthony Enahoro, CFR

To

The Warri Crisis Peace Conference / North America

Held at

Howard University, Washington DC
Saturday, July 24, 1999


I was extremely delighted to learn about this arrangement to hold a conference to discuss the inter-ethnic tensions in Warri and its environs, and more delighted to be asked to address it. I fully endorse the effort myself, and regard it as a venture of good faith to meet the challenges of co-existence and good neighborliness which the forces of history have imposed on this generation. There have been many such ventures in the past, but the situation has seldom been as volatile as that which confronts you today.

It has to be recognized that the current situation is a spin-off of colonialism, population growth and historical arrangements, and that there is a need for a re-definition of communal relationships. You should all consider not only the rights of individuals but also the rights and legitimate aspirations of the respective nationalities, bearing in mind in particular that the years of military rule and economic factors in the Niger-Delta have excercerbated the issues. It should not be a matter of life and death, rather of life for the nationalities, and living for the individuals.

It is my hope and prayer that your efforts at this conference will go a long way to assisting your fellow compatriots back at home to resolve the problems which they face.

I congratulate all those whose vision and efforts it was to organize this conference, and I wish you all successful deliberations.

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