Thousands of women, old and young of AKULGA recently trooped to the only street of Abonnema for a peaceful walk.
The women who were all In black and in a sorrowful mood, sang peaceful songs, started their walk from the Abonnema Girls’ Secondary School field where the mayhem started to the palace of the Amanyanabo of AKULGA, H.R.M Disrael Bob -Manuel.
Several placards with messages of “vote not kill”, “we don’t want army in Akulga” etc were carried by the women at the palace. The leader of the delegation Hon Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, the Commissioner of Cultureand Tourism announced to the AKULGACouncil of Chiefs that the mission of these women was to sensitize indigenes of AKULGA to be peaceful at all elections.
According to her Akulga had always been known as a peaceful L.G.A. Furthermore she pleaded with the monarch to ask our sons and daughters who are holding powers of authority at the federal level to use their God given positions to better the lives of AKULGANS just as others have done in their various areas, not to intimidate or cause mayhem in AKULGA.
The commissioner went on to state that some of the women are widows now and have also lost sons and daughters in this conflict.
In concluding Mrs. Oniyide reiterated that these women who suffer most are pleading with Abonnema Council of Chiefs to use their good offices to reach out to the federal government to desist from sending the army to AKULGA for elections.
On his part the Amanyanabo seeing the women weeping and sprawling on the ground. In his address, he ask them to be of good courage. He continued by stating that what happened on the 23rd February 2019 in AKULGA was most unusual and that even in the Biafran War people did not witness such dastardly act on the street of Abonnema.
He promised the women that that happened in Abonnema ill be relayed to the United Nations to look into. Furthermore the Monarch pointed out that they the chiefs, saw that this as coming and had earlier quickly summoned the political gladiators, security operatives etc to a crucial meeting at the Hotel Presidential for a peace accord. Continuing, the Monarch stated that communiqué was gotten but unfortunately some parties refused to sign the communiqué, saying that they did not have the authority of their parties to do so.
The Monarch however queried why some places where the elections were held did not report lost of lives.
With all emotions the Monarch asked “what votes are people looking for in AKULGA to cause the death of AKULGANS”.
He however assured the women that this issue will be taken up seriously to the highest authority in Nigeria. Furthermore the monarch pointed out that the political parties will be made to desist from bringing thugs and army into AKULGA for future elections in order to avoid these senseless killings. The monarch also warned that any person who brings soldiers to cause harm on innocent citizens of AKULGA will be held responsible and most certainly will be dealt with by the appropriate authority.
In concluding the monarch prayed to Almighty God to protect AKULGA, her innocent people and to console the families of the deceased and asked God to give them the fortitude to bear their numerous losses. More than fifty lives were recorded lost and several others had various bullet wounds and are in various hospitals in Port Harcourt.
