By Emmanuel Okonkwo

As part of efforts to enthrone peace and unity across the state, the Professor Chukwuma Soludo-led administration has finally resolved a communal crisis in Oguaniocha community, Ogbaru Council Area, which has lingered for over four years and claimed several lives, even as the Traditional Ruler of the town who has been missing till date.

Speaking during peace talk with Oguaniocha youths at the Old Government House in Awka, the Chairman, Panel of Enquiry on the Oguaniocha Community Crisis, Honourable Justice Chinyelu Anigbogu, commended the youths and other members of the community for giving peace a chance, and thanked God that the effort of the state government in restoring peace in the area through the panel was not in vain.

Reminding the youths that no community progresses or develops in absence of peace, Honourable Justice Anigbogu encouraged them to maintain the already existing peace and unity, and disclosed that the next action to be taken by the panel as directed by Governor Soludo is assessment tour of the community to ascertain level of damage caused by the crisis; with a view to compensating affected individuals.

Speaking on behalf of other youths, the Oguaniocha Youth President, Engineer Uche Onyedi, and a top ranking member of the youth group, Barrister Peter Ajadobi, while presenting a letter of the youths’ resolve to embrace peace henceforth to the state government, thanked the state government for wading into the matter and uniting them as brothers again, and promised to continue on the path of peace and harmony.

Among the terms of reference of the Panel of Enquiry were to assess the impact of the dispute and violence on individuals within the community; including loss of lives, displacements, injuries, economic implications, amongst others, and to provide real and implementable solutions to the state government geared towards reconciliation, rehabilitation and resettlement of various parties in the community.