The Ebonyi State government will, on Thursday this week, commence the final phase of demarcating the disputed land between the Effium and Ezza-Effium communities in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.
The people of Effium and Ezza-Effium have been in conflict since 2021, resulting in the loss of many lives and the destruction of properties worth billions of naira.
The immediate past administration of David Umahi made several attempts to resolve the crisis but failed in the process.
In pursuit of lasting peace, Governor Francis Nwifuru set up a committee to investigate the crisis. The committee subsequently made a number of recommendations.
Speaking during a church service on Sunday at the Government House Chapel, Centenary City, Abakaliki, the governor announced that the implementation of the government’s white paper on the crisis would begin on Thursday this week.
He disclosed that he will sign a bill for the creation of autonomous communities in Effium on that day and will also be present in the area to flag off the construction of the road designed to demarcate the warring clans, as part of ongoing peace-building efforts.
Nwifuru, who revealed that the first autonomous community to be occupied by the Ezza people in the area shall be named Alioma, threatened to deal decisively with any individual or group who attempts to undermine the peace process.
He noted that he was not taking sides in the dispute, but affirmed that the Ezza-Effium people have the right to live in Effium, the land of their forefathers.
“We will assent to the bill and flag off the demarcation of the land on Thursday this week. By 10 am, we will assent to the bill into law, by 1 pm, we will be at Effium to flag off the construction of the road. We will also create more communities for the two clans.
“We have agreed that Ezzas that are living in Effium have every full right to live there because they can never be a visitor in their father’s land, and that is what we agreed.
“We also agreed that they are entitled to have their own community with their own traditional ruler like other clans have,”; he said.
