Effium crisis: Group absolves Ohauwkwu LG boss of blames......commends Buhari, Umahi's peace efforts.

By Okoro Ogbonnaya

 A group under the aegis of Effium Indigenous Vanguard, has said that the Chairman of Ohauwkwu local government area, Barr.Clement Odah, has no hand in the on going crisis in Effium community.

The group warned a faceless group known as Ezza-Effium Consultative Assembly, to desist from actions capable of worsening the Crisis.

The group however commended President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and Governor David Umahi for their commitment and dedication to returning peace in Effium Community.

Recall that there has been lingering communal crisis between Ezza-Effium and Effium people since January, this year, which resulted in the death of  many persons and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.

Effium Indigenous Vanguard noted that Effium natives have always respected all goverment's pecae efforts since the crisis started , but regretted that their opponent, the Ezza_Effium people, have always violated all peace process by the Ebonyi State government .

They blamed the member representing Ohauwkwu north in Ebonyi state Hosue of Assembly, Chinedu Awo, for the lingering crisis,and called on members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to suspend him immediately for the interest of peace in the community.

The group  made this known at a press conference in Abakaliki on Friday.

 Chairman of the group, Godwin Ogaba and the Secretary, Sampson Isih,who addressed journalists  alleged that Ezza fighters were attacking Effium natives through Benue boundary.

 “It should be noted that the Ezzas have continued to violate every single peace agreement and ceasefire orders by the government even as at the time of this press release Ezza fighters are currently attacking Lebadegum and Ofuke in Akparata axis".

“We employ this press release to appeal to Benue state government to complement the effort of Ebonyi state government in nipping this crisis in the bud by urgently taking drastic measures to stop Ezza fighters from using the border routes to come and attack Effium natives as the Ezza fighters who attacked Lebadegum/Ofule villages of Effium are believed to have come from Benue/Ebonyi boundary. This is important if we avoid another inter state war.

“Recently, these attacks by Ezzas have graduated from the use of AK-47 and AK- 49 to the use of improvised explosive devices (IED). The Effium natives have suffered so many casualties with over one thousand hulled and over two thousand houses burnt with properties worth billions of naira destroyed.”

“We want to thank His Excellency the governor of Ebonyi state, Engineer David Nweze Umahi for his continuous effort to nip the crisis in the bud with the recent deployment of more army troops and other security personnel to the troubled le community which has resulted to a relatively r calm in the last couple of days.”