Ebonyi Federal Lawmaker Calls For Urgent Intervention In Ikwo Communal Unrest

From Ogochukwu Elem

The Member Representing EzzaSouth/ Ikwo Federal Constituency of Ebonyi State in the federal House of Representatives and chairman House committee on Reformatory Centers, Comrade Chinedu Ogah, OON has called on the Federal Government to urgently wade into the incessant communal crises that has bedevilled the area council of Ikwo for considerable period of time now.

Comrade Ogah made the call while presenting a motion before the floor of the House under matter of urgent public importance. He  stated that communities in Ebonyi State and the neighbouring Cross Rivers state used to live peacefully until boundry issues and quest for resource control resulted in violent clashes between the neighbours.

According to the lawmaker " Ikwo local Government Area is one of the most populated local government Areas in Ebonyi State with over 800, 000 people whose livelihood are dependent on their crops, livestock, local good, shops and other domestic assets. For many years now, Ikwo has been bedeviled by series of inter communal clashes with neighbouring states and with other communities within Ebonyi State over land disputes and other natural resources deposits."

Comrade Ogah who spoke in an emotion ladder voice, reiterated that majority of the people in the affected terrain have been displaced and their farm lands and livestock which are their major sources of livelihood destroyed.

He explained that the victims of the clashes are suffering from untold hardships as most of them have been rendered homeless and left at the mercies of all violent attacks and diseases occasioned by lack of food, access to portable water and other basic essentials required to maintain human dignity.

He regretted that all efforts made by  both the government of Ebonyi and Cross Rivers States to broker peace between the two warring communities have met a brick wall as none of the communities agreed to adhere to the contents of the agreement reached noting that if urgent steps are not taken to checkmate the menace, more lives would be lost and children displaced out of school would resort to crimes and criminality.

The lawmaker anchored his motion on four grounds which includes;

1. Urging the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA to provide relief materials to the affected victims.

2. Urging the Federal Government to provide monetary grants and Social programme enrolment for the victims to empower and prevent them from indulging in vices that could endanger them and the society.

3. Urging the National Boundry Commission to commence concrete action in providing lasting solutions to the issues of land dispute between Ebonyi and Cross Rivers States

4.Urging the Inspector General of Police to provide adequate security in Ikwo Local GovernmentArea to ensure relative peace and protection of Lives and property until normalcy returns to the troubled area.

Speaker Gbajabiamila while putting the motion to voice vote, mandated the House Committee on Special Duties and Emergency and Disaster preparedness to ensure implementation.