Amasiri-Edda Communal Clash: Nwifuru Reinstates Two Dethroned Traditional Rulers, Orders Return to Status Quo
From Omaka OKOH, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, has ordered the maintenance of the existing status quo in the disputed Amasiri-Edda boundary, pending the completion of the demarcation exercise.
The governor also announced the reinstatement of the traditional rulers of Ndukwe and Amasiri, who were dethroned following the prolonged communal crisis between Amasiri in Afikpo Local Government Area and Oso-Edda in Edda LGA.
Nwifuru gave the directives recently while receiving the interim report of the Amasiri-Edda Boundary Adjustment and Demarcation Committee at his office in Ochoudo Centenary City, Abakaliki, said the administration remained committed to restoring lasting peace across communities in the state, stressing that development could not thrive in an atmosphere of conflict.
The committee, chaired by the Commissioner for Border, Peace and Conflict Resolution, Prof. Paul Nwobasi, was constituted following the deadly attack at Okporojo on February 6, with a mandate to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the crisis, which has persisted for over a century.
Receiving the report, Nwifuru said: “In our administration, we are committed to making peace in all communities in this state. I thank the committee for identifying the causes of the problem which has lingered for more than 100 years.
“This is a very hard job and I am grateful. I have no doubt about the credibility of the job.”
The governor dismissed claims in some quarters that the government was targeting any of the communities involved in the dispute, saying his primary concern was to restore peace and promote development."
According to him, “Some uninformed social media influencers believe we are witch-hunting some communities. We have no interest. Our interest is the peace that will give us development. Where there is no peace, there is no development.”
Nwifuru consequently directed residents of the affected communities to refrain from actions capable of escalating the dispute, particularly trespass or attempts to alter the existing boundary arrangements.
“We hereby accept the report and insist status quo should be maintained as the demarcation exercise is being carried out. No one should interfere or trespass on each other’s land,” he ordered.
Earlier, Nwobasi said the committee had held several meetings with stakeholders and residents of the affected communities, while also conducting surveys and producing sketches of the disputed boundary as part of its efforts to arrive at an interim position.
He commended Governor Nwifuru for his commitment to resolving the longstanding dispute and described his approach to the crisis as forthright
*THE BEAGLE NEWS*
