Residents of Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of Rivers State are now heaving a sigh of relief as peace gradually returns to the once crisis -ridden area.
A visit to the area shows that business and social activities have increased in recent weeks following moves to reconcile all warring factions in the area by the caretaker committee chairman, Osi Olisa, as some of the residents expressed delight for the new development.
Major towns in ONELGA, including Omoku, Egi, Erema, Usomini, Obrikom and few others recorded the highest number of casualties during the period of the crisis that wreaked the area.
Many families and residents have had their loved ones killed either by deliberate attack or hit by stray bullets.
Kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and cult clashes including other heinous crimes were on the rise until the peace moves initiated by the Chairman of the council began to yield results.
Some of the youths who engaged in the crime accused elders, chiefs, community leaders and politicians of instigating the crisis because of their selfish reasons.
Meanwhile, the ONELGA CTC boss, Osi Olisa at a peace and reconciliatory meeting held at Omoku, appealed to relatives of victims to forgive those who had inflicted pains on them in the course of the crisis that had rocked the area, assuring them that his administration is poised to ensuring that they are given adequate attention and care and that a conducive environment will be restored to the crisis-ridden area.
He said it is important for the bereaved families to forgive those that orchestrated the killing of their loved ones in the interest of peace.
He assured that the LGA will make palliative measures available for widows and the aged.
According to him, “It is high time we realized ourselves and understand that we can not continue to kill one another. We have done enough damage to ourselves already.
” This i the time to rebuild and it must be a joint effort. Nobody can do it alone. We are sorry for what ever happened .
“As a council, we will do all within our power to make sure that you don’t suffer the pain of those yoh lost. We knw we cannot replace them but we will try to do something.
” Let us forgive ourselves so we dont go back to the trenches ”
Earlier, some of the relatives of the victims while recounting their losses as a result of the crisis, appealed to the ONELGA CTC boss to keep faith with his promises.
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