Ebonyi State governor, Francis Nwifuru has signed into law creation of new 5 autonomous communities in Effium in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state as a step to end the age long communal crisis in the area.
Ezza-Effium and Effium clans have been at war since January 2021 resulting in the loss of lives and property worth billions of Naira destroyed.
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly recently passed a law and approved five autonomous communities in the community- three for the Effium indigenes and two for their Ezza counterparts in the area.
Signing the law in his office at Ochudo Centenary City, New Government House, Abakaliki on Thursday, Governor Nwifuru said the creation of the Autonomous communities was to broker lasting peace in the troubled community.
The governor condemned the attitude of one of the warring clans that opposed the creation of the autonomous communities and warned that his administration woud not allow any group or persons to sabotage the efforts of the government.
He alleged that some persons in the area have been benefitting from the war which according to him was why they do not want the crisis to stop.
“I am particularly excited for a lot of reasons. Number one is that we have been able to champion peace with dignity and respect for humanity. The case of Effium and formerly known and called as Ezza-Effium before, is a very unfortunate incident.
“It is an incident caused by two individuals, people that were struggling for control of market and revenues in the motor park at Effium market and nobody knew that the case would turn out to be a very critical communal crisis the way it is now and it has consumed a lot of lives which no one ever wished for.
“It calls for concern when people pay the supreme price for peace in that particular community and at the dying minutes, people start raising issues that are unfounded.
“There are some people that are benefiting from this crisis and you just wake up one day and say you want to stop their source of income.
“They have nothing much doing other than this crisis and they must show the people that are giving them the resources the reason this crisis must continue.
“I want to send them a message and the message is that we are ready for any eventuality.
“If anyone thinks he is God, let the person dare us as government. We will use every available means to bring peace to that land,”; the governor warned.
