Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Two warring communities in Delta State, Isaba in Warri South Local Government Area and Aladja in Udu Local Government Area, have signed a peace pact to end a feud that had rocked both communities since 2016.
The peace pact was jointly sealed by the Ovie of Udu kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Delekpe, and the regent of Isaba kingdom, High Chief John Ekpenzu, and witnessed by the peace committee led by Edwin Uzor who Special Adviser to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on peace building and conflict resolution.
Stakeholders of both communities including presidents-general and others were also present during the brief signing ceremony.
Addressing the community stakeholders, the governor’s aide, Edwin Uzor, stressed that the present administration had invested so much to build a stronger Delta, despite the complex nature of the state.
Uzor said through his office, the state government had successfully addressed over 85 percent of more than 300 conflict cases in recent times, adding that the efforts of the governor, as captured in the S.M.A.R.T Agenda, in ensuring that the state remained stable could not be quantified.
He conveyed the promise of the governor to tar the road linking both communities among other dividends, and enjoined the youths to always give peace a chance as conflict is an anathema to development.
“Nothing is difficult before God and I believe that every matter in the state must be settled. What has happened here today is that the good people of Aladja and Isaba communities have sealed the agreement that they will co-exist peacefully the way they have done over the years,” Uzor said.
Chairman of Udu community, Jite Brown and his colleague from Warri South, Taiye Tuoyo, expressed gratitude to Uzor and the state government for wading into the conflict situation.
Similarly, the president-general of Aladja community, Otto Ogbiruveta expressed readiness to abide by the peace pact, just as his counterpart from Isaba community; Henry Ofoleyon said that the lingered crisis caused both communities more than they bargained.
In the same vein, a prominent son of Aladja community, Kingsley Orhere, enjoined both communities to live in peace and dialogue to resolve misunderstandings rather than take up arms against themselves, as his brother from Isaba community, Boro Opudu, thanked God for the reunion of both communities.