It was an interesting spectacle to behold on Thursday as the Executive Chairman of Ahoada West Local Government Area, Hon. (Evang.) Hope Ikiriko and his entourage paid a visit to the troubled Owube Community on a fact finding mission.
Speaking to the people amid rapturous reception, Ikiriko could not hide his feelings, condemning the irresponsible behaviour of some hoodlums in a Local Government where peace and development are palpable symbols under his watch.
But in his usual manner of fatherly love, he appealed to those he described as bad elements, to desist from troubling the community forthwith or face the full weight of the law.
The AWALGA boss regretted that Owube community, from 2015 till date has not known peace because of incessant operations of suspected cultists in the community which has frustrated lawful activities of citizenry in the community.
Reports indicate that several lives have been lost in Owube Community from 2015 till date. Sources revealed that the community dwellers are living in imminent fear of the unknown as several homes has been deserted for alleged fear of a certain General Odiereke and his gang.
Consequently, Hon. Hope Ikiriko who regretted that the people of Owube have not briefed him on the activities of the gang, said he was poised to sustain the zero tolerance to cultism and criminality in the area, stressing that it is on record that no life has been lost, not even in Owube since his assumption of office in 2017.
The Chairman gave stern warning to those terrorizing the area, including the so called ‘General Odiereke and Ona’ giving them from 4th to 30th June 2020 to ‘genuinely surrender and live a responsible life or face the full weight of the law’.
According to him, it is the desire of every father to see his children live responsibly but if they decide not to change, they have the government to contend with, stressing that there is no hiding place for criminal elements in AWELGA.
The Community Development Committee (CDC) of Owube Community, Mr. Anthony Oshi on behalf of the community thanked Hon. Hope Ikiriko for his timely response to the distressed calls of Owube community and pleaded for government intervention on the security challenges in the land, even as he apologized on behalf of the community for not intimating the Chairman of the council before the community women staged the peaceful protest to government House Port Harcourt and Commissioner of Police, saying it was out of frustrations.
An indigene of the community who spoke on condition of anonymity said: “As I speak, the community people have been banned by the gang not to go about their lawful businesses until the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) is paid to General Odiereke and his group and we don’t have the money to pay, and for now, no person here is allowed to farm in this farming season”.
It would be recalled that women of Owube Community recently staged a peaceful protest to the Government House in Port Harcourt and to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police about insecurity in the community.
