By Magnus Aluma, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Government has released white paper on the report of a committee, set up to resolve a land dispute between the people of Amana in the Ezza South Local Government Area and their neighbors in Ohankwu, another community in Ikwo Local Government Area, both in Ebonyi Sate.
The Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor disclosed this, while briefing journalists in Abakaliki, on the outcome of the state’s weekly executive council meeting. He said the committee has recommended immediate re-establishment of concrete boundary pillars to ascertain the real owners of the disputed rich lead area.
According to the commissioner, the White Paper dated November 8, 2023, and endorsed by the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, contained Government’s statements of adoption of the Committee’s recommendations and the Governor’s directive to concerned ministries and departments to implement same.
His words: “the Committee from their findings set aside the earlier report of the Ebonyi State Peace Committee which recommended the government’s acquisition of the disputed land and properties and its subsequent partitioning between the contending Communities. They observed that the CAN committee did not consult archival evidence before arriving at its decision.”
Okpor explained that from the committee’s report, the discovery of Lead, in the area and the subsequent removal of the concrete beacons used by the colonial masters to indicate boundaries, were the immediate and remote causes of the crisis in the area.
The commissioner explained that it was that the committee recommended immediate re-establishment of the beacons, to have clear boundaries and
will the real owners of the disputed land.
“The committee believes that will enable proper delineation of the boundary, and thereafter, a directive for the encroachers to retreat to their side for a lasting peace between the two communities,” he emphasised.
NewsBits gathered that the Peace Committee, which was headed by Engr. Ogbonnaya Abara with Barr. Peter Ogodo as secretary, was inaugurated by Governor Francis Nwifuru on July 17, 2023. Other members of the committee were their royal highnesses, Eze Charles Azuenya and Cosmas Agwu, as well as surveyor Augustine Okpani.
The committee was given four major terms of reference which included finding out the remote and immediate causes of the lingering crises, to reviewing existing reports and documents on the crisis, as submitted by previous committees set up by the Enonyi State Government, with a view to proffer solutions that will bring lasting peace among the two communities and make other recommendations as they may seem fit to forestall recurrence of further crisis.
