Special adviser to Delta state governor on peace building and conflict resolution, Chief Edwin Uzor, has revealed plans by the state government to ensure permanent peace between Okuama and Okoloba, agrarian communities in Ughelli south and Bomadi local government areas of the state.
Okuama made national and international headlines when the crisis that erupted from the two warring communities led to death of over 15 Nigerian soldiers, destruction of Okuama community, arrest of the community king and others by angry officers of the Nigeria army.
As at the time of filing this report, the president general of the community and some others who were declared wanted by the army have been arrested and detained by the army, leading to calls for their release by other community members.
Chief Uzor, who addressed a group of select journalists in his office in commemoration of the World Peace Day, being September 21, noted that Delta state government is on top of the matter to ensure that permanent peace returns to the warring zone.
He said the state government has begun restructuring the Okuama community, building schools, hospitals, hostels and others so that displaced persons who are living in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp could return and begin living their normal lives.
He also added that some individuals are also assisting the state government in the area of provision of skeletal structures in Okuama. This is even as food and relief materials have been flooding the IDP camp for the wellbeing of the people.
He said a peace accord was signed by leadership of Ughelli south and Bomadi local government areas to ensure ceasefire and build processes to bring about resettlement of the displaced persons.
Uzor, who said the government is following up on the people arrested, insisted that justice will be done and when they are found guiltless they would be released just as the king, HRM Clement Ikolomi was released.
Uzor, who has championed peace talks across various communities in Delta state and restored calm, said the state government is about going into the communities to demarcate the boundary.
“We’re working towards boundary delineation so that permanent peace will be there from the river side to the land. This will ensure that everybody knows their boundary so that no one trespases.
“We are working with the Akugbene king who has been pioneering the boundary issue. We are working to see how that can be resolved,” Chief Uzor had said.
He acknowledged challenges in the move to ensure peace is restored to the communities.
“There are challenges because some people hold strongly to their beliefs. As far as they are concerned they saying nothing but the truth. The other man also believes that the evidence he is holding unto is nothing but the truth.
“In that case you find yourself in a situation where you have to employ some kind of diplomacy and wisdom to manage such kind of situation. In a situation like that, you do not know who is telling the truth and who is lying.
“It takes a lot of wisdom and indepth finding to know who is telling you the truth. Any man giving statement is giving statement that will favour him. We will look at all those things and come out with the exact truth.
“There’s a lot of crisis in the world. 70percent of people in the world live in crisis. Even this morning, as you were coming out, the bus you enter, crisis can burst out. Crisis is a continuous thing across the world. The ability of the strikers to abide by the 3rd person resolution that’s when peace comes.”
Chief Uzor told journalists that the world peace day was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly and observed around the world on September 21 with the objective of strengthening ideals of peace through observance of non-violent coexistence.
He said across the world millions of people are invited to join the convention towards building a peaceful and prosperous future that will enhance mutual coexistence.
Chief Uzor said to strengthen peaceful coexistence, the UNGA declared the September 21 as a day to observe 24-hours of non-violence and ceasefire across warring nations globally.
He called on traditional rulers, faith based organizations, members of civil societies, non-governmental organizations, youth and women leaders to be champions of peace in their various communities so that “we can realise the need for us to recognize how our individual and collective actions can affect and foster global peace.”
