Ayade reads riot act to warring communities

Following cases of incessant communal clashes resulting in loss of lives and property, Cross River State government has read the riot act to any warring community.

The state Governor, Ben Ayade who stated this while delivering relief materials to victims of two warring communities of Ukele North-Oyoba and Ehiteze in Yala Local Government Area of the state, said, the state government would not hesitate to unleash its wrath on any community that allows dispute with their neighbours to result in war.

It could be recalled that the communities of Oyoba in Wanikade and Ehetize in Wanihen in Ujkele North in Yala council clashed in January 23 this year over land disputes in which property worth millions of naira were destroyed on both sides of the divide.

Delivering the materials on behalf of the governor, the Director General, Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr. John Inaku, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Relief and Rehabilitation, Mr. Andy Adeshi said that the gesture was principally humanitarian and should not be seen as supportive or an encouragement.

The governor said that already plans have been concretized to decisively deal with leaders of warring communities as deterrent to others and advised that “disputes should always be handled with maturity through dialogue and not to resort to barbaric and unwarranted approach to achieving selfish goals.”

Recounting what happened between the communities of Oyoba in Wanikade and Ehetize in Wanihen wards of Ukele North in Yala council, where property worth millions of naira including residential houses were destroyed, Ayade said, “this was appalling and detestable”.

The Chairman of the Council, Mr. Mike Usibe thanked the state governor for the magnanimity and promised that everything would be done to avoid such an unwholesome situation in future in the entire Yala council.