By Remi DIAGBARE
CROWEF/EWEF has been launched as an NGO, with a focus on alleviating the suffering of women and children in the Niger Delta. The launching took place at the Mom’s Civic Centre, Airport Road ,  Warri. Theme of the inaugural launch was “Keeping Hope Alive.”

Key note speaker and permanent secretary, ministry of interior, Mrs. Dere Awosika, in her opening remarks, praised the organization’s objective of catering for the needs of the neglected people of the region.

She commended the Federal Government granting of amnesty to militants, which, according to her, has brought  relative peace  and stability to the region. She  asked the NGO  to build on the efforts.

Prof Tony Afejuku of the Dept  of English, University of Benin, delivering a paper at the occasion painted a grim picture of the degradation of the region and the duplicity of the oil companies operating in the area and government.

He catalogued the problems of the region, describing them as divisive. He called for unity amongst the people, so they can come together and forge a common force against injustice.