A’Ibom Threatens Village Heads over Communal Feud
Akwa Ibom State Government has threatened to invoke more stringent measures to deal with those behind communal conflicts with a view to bring an end to all forms of crises in the state.
The Deputy Governor of the State, Mr. Moses Ekpo who reemphasized this while presenting relief materials to the victims of last year’s Boxing Day crisis between Afaha Itak and Osuk Ediene communities in Ikono LGA said government was worried about such disturbances.
Thisday gathered that the communal clash which took place on December 26, 2017 led to the burning and vandalization of 40 houses while seven people sustained matchet cut injuries.
The Deputy Governor who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office, Mr. Nkopuruk Ekauji donated building materials including cement, roofing sheets, ceiling boards and food items such as rice, garri, beans as well as sewing machines among other items to over 47 victims in the community’s brawls.
According to him, part of such measures to permanently end skirmishes in the state will include withdrawal of the certificates of recognition of such village heads.
Again, he mentioned that the law enforcement agencies will be instructed to treat perpetrators of such clashes as violent criminals hence should be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Deputy Governor maintained that the state government’s renewed position on the matter became imperative in order to curb the spate of communal clashes as well as intra-state boundary crises which have become incessant in recent times.
He warned that in as much as the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is always prepared to come to the aid of victims of natural disasters and emergency situations, the issue of man-made disasters should be controlled to its barest minimum as they amount to a huge distraction from developmental efforts.
The Local Government Chairman for Ikono, Mr. Itoro Columba while receiving the SEMA team praised the efforts of the state government for its prompt response to the humanitarian situation that befell the community noting that the action was a further testimony to the people-centric disposition of the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration.
He urged the people of the area to continue to support the State administration of Governor Emmanuel in its efforts to bring development to all parts of the state.
Columba added that the prompt presentation of the relief materials should not be seen as an incentive to cause more atrocities in anticipation of relief materials as “government’s gesture was just a privilege and not an encouragement for people to take laws into their hands”.