March 22, (THEWILL) – Former Chairman of Edda Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, Barrister Eni Uduma Chima, has called on Governor Francis Nwifuru to engage his Cross River State counterpart, Prince Bassey Otu, in efforts to disarm militants from Cross River as part of measures to restore lasting peace between Egbor/Urugbam and Ekoli-Edda communities.
Chima made the appeal while speaking with journalists at the 134 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Ezillo Barracks, where former vigilantes from Ekoli-Edda underwent rehabilitation and were subsequently empowered by the Ebonyi State government.
The ex-council boss recalled that the vigilantes were arrested during the escalation of hostilities between Egbor, in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River, and Ekoli-Edda over the leasing of the NIFOR plantation, which largely belongs to the Ekoli-Edda community but was allegedly leased out without proper consultation.
He stressed that the disarmament of the Ekoli-Edda vigilantes was based on his confidence in the professionalism of the Nigerian Army, urging Cross River authorities to take similar steps to ensure mutual peace.
“So today, we witnessed the graduation of 51 persons who have acquired different skills to help them reintegrate into society. They have been empowered to become useful citizens,” Chima stated.
He lauded the Nigerian Army for establishing forward operation bases in Ekoli and Urugbam, which share a boundary with Cross River, emphasising that their presence reassured his people of their safety.
Chima, in his address at the graduation ceremony, urged Governor Nwifuru to work closely with Governor Otu to facilitate the disarmament of armed groups from the Cross River side of the divide.
“As I mentioned in my remarks to the governor, I appealed to him to engage his counterpart in Cross River to also disarm their own people. Let them sheath their swords so that we can continue farming together in peace,” he said.
He further called on the Cross River State government to halt plans to lease the NIFOR plantation, arguing that a significant portion of the land belongs to the Ekoli-Edda community.
“We also use this opportunity to urge the Cross River government not to lease the palm plantation because the land belonging to Ekoli people is within that plantation. Leasing it without resolving the boundary issue would only deepen the crisis,” Chima added.
He called on both state governments to leverage their influence to push the National Boundary Commission to properly trace and demarcate the disputed land, affirming that the Ekoli-Edda people are committed to peaceful coexistence.
“They should use their influence to facilitate the National Boundary Commission’s intervention in tracing and demarcating the boundary. Only then can we definitively establish which area belongs to whom and determine the true source of hostilities,” he noted.
Chima affirmed that the Ekoli-Edda community would accept any resolution process, whether based on the Kaloma Ali panel report, the Irikaibe panel report, the Mamanazi panel report, or Decree 23 of 1985, as long as it promotes peace.
On the empowerment initiative, he advised beneficiaries to make good use of the N2 million grant provided by the state government, stressing that accountability would determine further support.
“They should utilize the funds wisely because it carries the governor’s goodwill and the expectations of the public. If they use this opportunity well, more will be given to them,” he concluded.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
