The Executive Chairman of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Prince Ikechukwu Odono has said that there is a permanent peace now between the people of Agila in Ado Local Government Area of Benue and their Ngbo neighbourhood in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State following peace talks engaged by the once warring communities.
Odono, who disclosed this while interacting with the pressmen on his achievements since he assumed office at his country home Ezzangbo yesterday, said there is no more shooting or war between the two neighbouring communities.
He explained further that through the effort of the Council's stakeholders, especially the member representing Ohaukwu/ Ebonyi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Eze Nwachukwu Eze and above all, God has helped to bring to a halt the war that had lasted for over one hundred years.
He said, "On assumption of office on September 1, 2022, I started with security. Before my assumption, the part of Ohaukwu called Ukwuagba, there is no week they do not shoot and kill people. It made so many villagers desert their villages. I started with that and since I became the Chairman, the Ukwuagba people who ran out of their villages are now back because of the security measures we took.
"I want to tell you that in Ohaukwu, there was the issue of cult clashes and other social vices were the order of the day. But today, there are things of the past because since we assumed office, we have never had cases of cult clash in the Ohaukwu Local Government Area. But you know when you are doing something for your people, some people will still find a way to undermine your efforts.
"And that is why sometimes you will see some people that call themselves unknown gunmen going around causing havoc. But we are doing everything possible with security agents and stakeholders to ensure it stopped in Ebonyi State. Apart from that every other thing in terms of security, we have tackled.
"When I resumed office, I initiated a peace committee to broker peace between Ngbo people in Ohaukwu Local Government and the Agila people in Ado Local Government Area. We started by ordering that we did not want any form of shooting for one week, from one week, we entered two weeks and from two weeks, we entered a month, from one month and so on. From then till this moment, there is nothing like shooting or war between Agila and Ngbo to date.
"I sponsored the stakeholders from Ohaukwu to Abuja and also to Benue State over this matter. And the Benue people have visited us and today Ohaukwu people can go to Agila and even some people are living there. Agila people come to our market and we exchange things. As I am speaking to you, there is permanent peace between the Ngbo people and the Agila people.
"This war has lasted for more than one hundred years. But with God's help under my administration with the assistance of the member representing Ohaukwu/Ebonyi federal constituency, Hon. Eze Nwachukwu. Because at the time, he was doing his own in Abuja and I was doing my own here. Today, there is peace between the two warring communities.
"The most important thing I think I have done in my administration is security. Because before I assumed office, I felt bad when my people left their villages for other villages. I took this challenge and today they said they wanted to confer me a chieftaincy title about security they had left their communities but today they are back in their homes. Also, the war that had lasted for 100 years is no more. Today an Agila man can come to Ngbo and Ngbo can go to Agila.
"The day we visited Agila, I went through Ngbo road and the Agila people came through Okwo and it was so historic. People were happy and jubilating. Because of the peace we have achieved, the Ohaukwu NULGE and State NULGE and the traditional rulers gave me the title of Ikeudo one of the Ohaukwu Local Government Area
"The other day, I was in Effium because of the lingering crisis between Effium and Ezza-Effium. I was there with the military people because we had there was an attack. I was there to make sure that the effort of our governor to make sure that peace is returned between Effium and Ezza-Effium. All these we are doing and so many others are to make sure that there is peace in Ohaukwu Local Government Area.", Odono said.
