…Take Advantage of Peace Efforts and Amend Your Ways – Council Chair
The Andoni Peace and Reconciliation Committee charged with identifying and re-orientating all the contending youths in Andoni Local Government Area has ended the phase 3 of Peace and Reconciliation processes.
The three day event which was the committee’s first public outing among other strategies since its inauguration took off Monday, August 30, 2021 and was rounded off Wednesday, September 4, at the Bishop Crowder Memorial Secondary, Opposite Shell Industrial Area (AI) had Peace and Security, Panacea for Development as the theme.
The Peace and Reconciliation Committee constituted by the Andoni Area Traditional Council was necessitated by incessant destruction of lives and property in Andoni Local Government Area by contending youths in the area, a situation that terribly impeded social and economic life of the people.
The Committee was charged among others, to indentify various contending groups and their leaders within and outside Andoni, find out the differences amongst the groups, dialogue with the groups for possible peaceful settlement for enhancement of security of lives and property, liaise with security agencies in this direction, work out possible areas of human capacity development and empowerment for the youths. Participants in the event were randomly selected by their respective groups.
The consolation about the event according to the committee is that their presence indicates acceptance of the peace by the respective groups.
The number of participants was 30 able men who will equally be engaged in camp administration to give them sense of belonging and impart in them qualities of good citizenship.
In turn, they will be appointed as orderly officers for ground management of camp and report to the officers.
In his opening remarks, the Committee Chairman, King Moses Dic-Isotu described the assignment of halting the meaningless cult war among the contending youths as a rescue mission any peace loving and patriotic Obolo sons will graciously brace up to undertake notwithstanding the risks and dangers involved.
“Our children fought their so-called wars premeditated by unfounded and baseless group supremacy. We are here to calm their frailed nerves and to put permanent end to the wars. And also, to make them realize that there is no victor no vanquished. The winner in this instant situation is Obolo and Obolo people, since we all desire to embrace peace, relate peaceably and therefore live peacefully among ourselves and even with our neighbours. We are by special grace of God approaching end of the dark tunnel”, King Moses Dic-Isotu declared.
The Chairman of Andoni Local Government Council, Hon. Erastus Awortu who graced the closing ceremonies of the camping event urged the youths, to forgive one another and leverage on the peace and reconciliation efforts to rechannel their energies to positive and meaningful activities.
One of the ways to achieve this, the council chair observed, was to refuse to be used as political thugs or tools to commit crimes by anybody as they return home to reunite with their families and loved ones.
On the brokered peace and reconciliation among the warring youth groups, all the factions welcomed the peace initiatives.
They however, pleaded that a monitoring committee of selected members of the groups superintended by the traditional rulers be set up by the local government council who will see to it that the peace agreements are kept to the letter and report any case of resurgence to the authorities, take charge of allocating jobs to peaceful and qualified sons and daughters of the area when such opportunities knock.
They also pleaded with government to consider effecting the release of their brothers and kinsmen already in prison on account of their past actions as well as organize the burial of their killed colleagues so that their spirits will rest in peace, to which the council chairman said government will look into.
Resource persons at the occasion include Dr. Innocent Kasarachi of the University of Port Harcourt, Barr. Joy Okezie and Dr. Ikechukwu Nwanze who variously spoke on the consequences of youth restiveness.
