Peace returns to Delta community

WARRI — Peace has finally returned to the oil producing community of Ekamtagbene, in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, after series of intra-communal crises, following a leadership tussle in the area.

The 10-month-old dispute, which divided the community into two factions, ruined the socio-economic life of the people, until it was resolved.

Peace was restored during a Security and Peace Reconciliation Meeting, SPRM, chaired by the Transition Committee Chairman of the council, Mr. Collins Olorogun, at the council’s secretariat.

At the meeting, the security council  dissolved the Alex Kemasuode-led faction, which was seen as a legitimate community government and the Gowon Kimaki-led community development committee CDC, to pave way for peace.

The dissolution followed the failure of the two parties to shift ground as well as to forestall further breach of the peace and insecurity in the community, where a parallel government was already running.

An eight-man interim committee selected from both factions was set up with a four-month mandate to manage the affairs of the community, maintain peace in the area, and to hand over to a duly elected community chairman, just as a six-member electoral committee was also put in place to conduct elections after an amendment in the constitution in areas of tension in the community within the period.

Members of the interim committee include: Mr. Victor Ogboeye, chairman; Mr. Sunday Omorun, vice Chairman; Mr. Timipere German, Secretary, and Chief Arere Lore, Treasurer.

The Security Council disclosed that in order to build trust and confidence amongst aggrieved parties and engender genuine support for the new caretaker government in Ekamtagbene, members were drawn from both factions to form the new interim committee.