From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has released the sum of N400 million for members of Ekporo community in Eleme Local Government Area to rebuild the place and compensate families who were fatally affected by the inter-communal clashes eight years ago.
Governor Wike said that the money was for the development and resettlement of the Ekporo people, who have suffered as refugees in other communities as their own community was rendered uninhabitable.
Speaking to elders and stakeholders of Eleme community during a meeting in Port Harcourt yesterday, Governor Wike, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, noted that it was the desire of the Wike-led administration to ensure that communities remain peaceful and enjoy the infrastructural prosperity of the state.
He said that Rivers government would continue to foster inter-communal coexistence and peace in order to build a safe and secure state for all.
Danagogo said: “It is unfortunate that members of the Ekporo community were sacked from their community for about eight years now as a result of the inter-communal wars.
“We expect you to work with government on beneficial plans to utilize this funds in terms of primary infrastructure and resettlement of the people back into their community”.
He urged indigenes of the state to continue to toe the line of peace as conflict and war will only brew devastation and under-development.
In his remarks, the former Senator representing Rivers South-East, Olaka Nwogu, thanked the governor for his magnanimity and for remembering to resettle the people of Ekporo back into their community.
Nwogu expressed: “It is with profound gratitude we are here to thank His Excellency for what he has done. It is historic and important because it touches each and every one of us that, it is in our time, we lost one of our most vibrant communities and also in our time that this community is being recovered. The entire people of Eleme are grateful”.
The King of Eleme, His Majesty Philip Osaro Obele, Oneh-eh Eleme XI, affirmed that what the governor had done was historic because the people of Ekporo could be peacefully settled back into their homes after years of living as refugees.
He said: “We lost one of our communities for over seven years and today, we are bringing back that community. Members of the Ekporo community have been refugees in other areas despite the situation that there is no war now. What has happened today, is very historic.
“I use the opportunity to congratulate the Eleme political class that you have added another cap to your feathers as you did not allow one of your communities to be extinct for life”.
The meeting was also attended by the State House of Assembly member representing Eleme Constituency, Igwe Aforji, former Commissioner of Culture, Mr. Marcus Nle-Ejii, a former Eleme LGA Chairman, Ejoor N. Ejoor; the paramount ruler of Ekporo, His Royal Highness, Emere Samuel Obe and other stakeholders.