The Evwreni Crisis Resolution and Peace Committee has met with the Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, with an appeal to set up a Judicial panel of enquiry to look into the remote and immediate causes of the crisis in Evwreni Kingdom, Ughelli North Local Government Area.
The Committee led by a foremost business mogul, politician and indigene of Evwreni, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor were in Government House, Asaba to seek audience with the Governor as part of efforts to bring to an amicable end to the crisis that had bedeviled the community for over time.
In a three paged document presented Dr Okowa and endorsed by six members of the Committee, the peace ambassadors said “Evwreni Kingdom has been engulfed in an unfortunate and destructive internal crisis since first quarter of 2020 that has resulted so far in the death of three persons, one missing person, destructions and damages of several houses and properties and the displacement of many youths and the elderly from the community”.
“The crisis has placed the Evwreni Vigilante outfit and other youths that are sympathetic
to the King, HRM Qghenekevwe Owin Kumane against other youths that are sympathetic to the President General of the Evwremi Clan improvement Union, Mr Bright Adjogbe. The Vigilantes and a number of the youths are armed and at war with each other”.
Continue, the Olorogun O’tega Emerhor led Committee explained “It is in these dire circumstances that we under the aegis of Evwreni Crisis Resolution and Peace Committee, a body convened and comprises of Eminent sons and daughters of Evwreni, having seen the need for a peaceful resolution of the crisis, met on the 7th of April 2021 to find ways of resolving the crisis”.
The Committee disclosed that at the end of the said meeting, a communique that outlining a pathway to peace, reconciliation and restoration was released which copy it said was earlier sent to the office of the governor and also published in both the electronic and print media.
“Sadly, the other parties to the crisis who are sympathetic to the President General, the
Adjogbe and Unagha families (who lost siblings in the crisis), and a group that is clamoring for the dethronement of the King, have refused to key into the peace process. They insisted that until legal and judicial interventions are exhausted, there should not be peace. That they do not desire peace without justice”, the Committee stated in the document.
It therefore explained further that the committee seeing the calamity that will follow the collapse of the peace process by way of further loss of lives and properties and a complete breakdown of law and order in Evwreni community, has decided, as it last hope, to appeal for urgent
and decisive intervention of the Governor.
The Committee listed areas for intervention to include, to appoint a Judicial Panel of Enquiry to look into the remote andimmediate causes of the crisis, to ascertain the role played by various individuals and apportion blames where
necessary and to look into the role of the community Vigilante in the crisis, their involvement in the killings and destructions, and if any, to bring the guilty to book and to determine their dissolution as may be required.
Others include, to look into the role played generally by youths and other armed groups in the killing and destructions in the community with a view of bringing them to book, to determine and identify possible sponsors of the violence either through the Vigilantes or the other armed groups with a view to bringing such sponsors to book, to look at the merit of the various claims to the stool of the Ovie of Evwreni and resolve the agitations thereto as well as to look into and resolve any other issues that will bring lasting peace to Evwreni kingdom.
While assuring Governor Okowa of the required cooperations, the Committee said it will appreciate immediate response in arresting the potential escalation of the crisis that is already debilitating.
The document was signed on behalf of the Committee and the Evwreni Community by the Chief Convener of the peace meeting, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, OON, the Committee Secretary,
Olorogun Emuobosa Victor Ohare, a Leader in the community, Elder Victor V. Mowoe, the Director General, National Biosafety Mgt Agency, Chief Rufus Ebegba, representative of the King of Evwreni, Mr. Clevef Oweh and representative of the President General, Evwreni Clan Improvement Union, Mr. Joseph Ighorodje.
Our Correspondent gathered that Governor Okowa in his response, promised to liaise with the Chief Judge of the state to work out modalities to the setting up of the Judicial panel of enquiry.
The Governor however appealed for peace and urged all parties involved in the crisis to stop further hostilities while efforts were being made to find lasting peace in the community, even as he commended the Evwreni Crisis Resolution and Peace Committee for its efforts towards amicable resolution of the crisis.