The Youths in Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja Communities Warri South-West and Udu Local Government Areas in Delta State have appealed to the state Governor, Dr Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa to seek a lasting solution to the age long boundary dispute between the two neighboring communities.
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The combined youths of the Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh Peace Vanguard made the appeal to Governor Okowa on Thursday as they paid a courtesy visit to the Nigeria Union of Journalists Secretariat in Warri.
Convener of the Peace Vanguard, Rev. Layefa Thompson while speaking during the visit, appealed to the governor to call the leadership of both communities to a round table discussion in a bid to resolve the age-long land dispute as soon as possible.
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Rev Layefa stated the youths of the neighboring communities who are tired of the situation, have decided to unitedly pursue a common course in achieving sustainable peace in the communities.
“As a group, we do not have the capacity to share the land. The royal fathers and leaders of thought from both communities have been having an aged-long confrontation over land ownership.
“So, governor Okowa as the Chief Security Officer in Delta should call the royal fathers and the leaders of thought to a round table discussion because they understand the land better.
“The best time to do the needful is now that there is relative peace in both communities.
“The governor should also bring the warring youth from both communities together and maybe grant them some level of amnesty and collect their weapons from them.
“Any little thing can trigger off the crisis, we do not want a breakdown of law and order in both communities again,” he said.
Also, Amb Bezi Ighoteguolor, one of the administrators of the group from Aladja stated that the youths of the warring communities were tired of fighting each other, hence the need for lasting peace.
He further appealed to Governor Okowa give out scholarships to children of those who died in the middle of the crisis.
“We are planning to meet Governor Okowa to see how the peace can be deepened as it is still fragile,” Bezi said.
Aladja and Ogbe-Ijaw have both been caught up in a land dispute for almost three decades, with loss of lives and properties in the process.
However, peace is gradually seeing the light of the day as a result of the groups efforts in restoring unity and harmony to the communities.
The peace vanguard comprises of youths from both Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja Communities.