IT took the intervention of the Federal Government before the warring factions in the leadership crisis that engulfed the oil-rich Itsekiri community of Ugborodo in Warri South-West Local Government agreed to sheath their swords. Former Commissioner for Health in Delta State, Dr. Alex Ideh and Itsekiri youth leader, Mr. Alex Eyengho, who are leaders in both factions, spoke to Vanguard on the new-found peace.

CAN we way that peace has returned to Ugborodo?

It is really unfortunate that we had to wait till this time for the matter to be resolved. Thank God it is resolved amicably. Both factions contending for the position of Governing Council have agreed to sheathe their swords and come together to work for the common good of the community. I say this with all sense of responsibility. It has come to that. We are happy this is so.

What were the grievances and how were they ironed out? 

The grievances are community based. They are things people are upset about, some on the goings on in the community particularly in the last four years. Some of those things are criminal matters. They are matters we as persons cannot go into.

Dr. Alex Ideh

We can only say look, this thing that has happened is not fair.  We are not the ones to deal with that. We expect that government agencies have their ways of dealing with that.

Governor Uduaghan said Ugborodo leaders should think big and stop fighting for mere crumbs when there is a bigger pie in the EPZ project, what do you say?

I agree with that to some extent. But it is important to point out that if you cannot handle the crumbs, how can you handle the big things? I will tell you that all of these problems are caused by the governor. All these peace process we have had to go through to finally agree would have been resolved on August 26th 2013 when the governor himself called us to a meeting.

I was in that meeting. Pa J.O.S. Ayomike who they are vilifying all over the place agreed to leave his house to go to the governor’s place. What we have agreed today is what would have been agreed then. It was a suggestion that was made then, that because they are contending for position of who is the true representatives of the community and you see that a mega project is coming, in order for it not to cause so much friction, take from here and take from here.

This was his (governor’s) own suggestion, which all of us agreed. You cannot believe it, one week later, the governor went ahead to do the exact opposite. So when somebody is postulating about crumbs and big projects, I wonder again, if you cannot manage the crumbs how can you manage the big pie. Again, let the governor explain to us what he did with N3.8 billion that was meant for the Ugborodo New Town Project. Nothing is done, nothing at the site.

I thought the governor had since explained that this money is intact in the bank and the bank came out to confirm it? 

The money the governor is saying is intact is the $6 m paid by Chevron as their contribution to the New Town Project. That money was paid, they agreed to some people nominated by the governor and they put the money in an escrow account, fine. But the governor awarded this particular project in 2010 at a cost of  N5. 75 billion. he  paid N2.5 billion to the contractor. Two months later, they paid another N1 billion. Again they paid another N350 million, making a total N3.850B and 76 per cent of the contract sum that have been released. What we are saying is that you have not managed the crumbs. We will get to the root of the matter. And this has nothing to do with the peace initiative.

You didn’t go to Ugborodo when the governor went to the area, why?

He went to Ogidigben. And when you went from what you are saying, did you see the community people? If he wanted to go Ugborodo to show that there is really peace and all that, would he not invite the Eghare-Aja, the Olaja-Orori and others to say I am coming, and we have to work together? But he went with his group. As far as I am concerned, this man is divisive and he is the one causing the crisis in Ugborodo. But in fairness to him, he is doing his official work; he does not have to really tell anybody that he has to go there because there is no ceremony.

How can the prevailing peace in Ugborodo be sustained? 

Goodwill shown on both sides is paramount. When we are together in these meetings, we banter jokes and relate well. But when somebody somewhere is pulling the strings for his own selfish interest, how do you sustain the peace?