Group Urges FG To Stop Communal Clashes

An urban professional youth community-based group identified as Project 1000, has called for a drastic action from the Federal Government over the lingering Ukelle-Izzi communal clash.

Recall that there have been protracted incessant clashes between the Izzi people of Ikwo LGA in Ebonyi state and the Ukelle, people in Yala LGA of Cross River state.

In the ongoing war, several people have been reportedly killed with properties worth millions of Naira burnt down.

However, Project 1000 Communications Director, Ebriku John in a statement condemned the killings, calling on the federal government to intervene as the case is now beyond the control of state and local governments.

“We the members of Project 1000 condemn in its entirety, the ongoing war/communal clash between the Izzi community of Ebonyi State and the Ipollo community of Cross River State that has claimed many lives including those of innocent travelers,” the statement read.

“We call on the Federal Government to erect a national monument, a school or barracks on this boundary just the way there are a barracks demarcating Ogoja from Yala. While that is on, Traditional Rulers and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of these two communities should be required to maintain the peace in their communities/jurisdiction or pay for any life lost to any violence.

“We also pray the top brass of our security agencies for speedy interventions going forward as they are the resort of the common man in security issues,” he pleaded.

John, urging elders and youth of both communities to embrace a peaceful dialogue towards ending the crisis, also warned those sponsoring the crisis to stop their evil act.

“We call on both sides to drop their armaments and have a roundtable discussion as only a dialogue can proffer long-lasting solution to this unreasonable war that has lasted for over 13 years.

“We believe that in battles, only survivors tell the tales and not who was right or wrong. We also believe that resources voted to prosecute wars and losses incurred during this period should rather be deployed into meaningful developmental projects of human capacity as well as infrastructure as both serve as solutions to conflicts.”

The group also called on the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, to quickly mobilize relief items to the affected communities as hunger, shelter, and health, challenges are telling on the people who have fled the area to safer communities.

“We indulge the indigenes of both communities and state to move in to lend a helping hand to consolidate the efforts of the government.”

According to the statement, Project 1000 alongside two other movements (the Afrika Youth Movement and Diplomacy Opp) are putting together a peace and conflict resolution scheme to achieve a long-term peaceful sustenance in both communities and also seeks support from Nigerians to attain the goal.

“We humbly call on all well-meaning sons and daughters of both sides to stay their hands and dialogue to ensure the peace, intermarriage and intercultural heritage shared by both communities are restored. Nobody should be on the sidelines in these matters. Real people are dying, people with their unique stories, with families, with aspirations, dreams and great futuristic plans.”

Meanwhile, Project 1000 applauded the state leaders in the Senate and the House of Representatives for the dialogue with leaders of both communities to put an end to the carnage going on in the states.

“Thank you for rising to the occasion and for caring for Nigerians,” the group said.