Okuama, Okoloba Communities Sign Peace Accord To End Age-long Land Dispute

The Okuama community in the Ughelli South Council area and Okoloba community in the Bomadi council area, Delta State, have assured that their signed peace accord is to end their protracted land dispute.

The peace accord, championed by the Bomadi local government chairman, Hon Dagidi Andaye, and his counterpart in the Ughelli south council area, Hon Dr Lucky Avweromre, at the Governor’s office annexe, Warri, aimed to stop hostilities and embrace a pathway for final peace.

Governor Sherrif Oborevwori gave the council chairmen a marching order to strike a peace deal between the Okuama and Okoloba communities. The two communities have been in crisis over a land dispute for over six months.

The Bomadi council chairman, Hon Dagidi Andaye, advised the warring communities to embrace peace and allow the government to devise lasting solutions.

He noted that the two communities were supposed to fight their common enemies, the sea pirates, rather than fighting themselves.

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Andaye held that the meeting was not to go into the issues that led to the crises but for them to embrace peace and allow normalcy to return to the area, as the crises affect all communities along that axis of River Forcados.

Avweromre emphasised the utmost importance of both communities living in peace and said the people need themselves to coexist together.

“We, the Urhobos, depend on our Ijaw brothers and women for fish while we sell garri and starch to them; we also intermarry.”

Dr David Akpoboloukaemi, who spoke on behalf of the Okoloba Community, noted that there was no option for peace, stating that the reason the members of the Okoloba Community came to attend the meeting was to seal the peace deal being initiated by the state government.

Secretary-General of Ewu Kingdom, who spoke on behalf of the Okuama community, thanked the state government for giving relief to the people who suffered crimes they never committed on March 14th, 2024, by killing 17 soldiers that led to the invasion of the community.

Egedegbe used the opportunity to call on the Nigerian Army to play the game by the rules and seek legitimate means to prosecute the arrested 29 members of the community.

He further charged Governor Oborevwori to hurry up the rebuilding of the Okuama so that the internally displaced could leave their tents and return to their ancestral homeland.

Egedegbe asserted that the Okuama community desired peace, so they were sent to sign the peace accord.

“We, the undersigned representatives of the Okoloba community and Okuama community, at this moment affirm immediate ceasefire and denounce violence, looting and destruction of property.

They also affirmed and swore to work toward reconciliation and forgiveness, carry out joint patrols, allow and grant free access to farmland and fishing lakes, and allow free passage along the River Forcados.

Both communities appealed to the Chairmen of the two council areas to conduct a thorough investigation into the theft of goods belonging to neighbours.

They also agreed to resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means and to engage in a community outreach programme to promote peace and understanding.

To ensure the full implementation of the peace accord, the council chairmen set up a committee headed by the councillors representing the Okoloba and Okuama communities, the chairmen of both communities and other leaders.

The traditional ruler of Akugbene-Mein Kingdom HRM, Stanley Luke, Kalanama V111 from Bomadi council area, the Ewu Monarch HRM, Clement Ikolo, the Urukpe 1 of Ewu kingdom from Ughelli south council and HRM Solomon Okukeren 111, Ovie of Arhavwarien kingdom were the royal fathers present at the meeting.

Security chiefs, the Divisional Police Officer of Bomadi council area and that of Ughelli South council area, DSS, were all present to witness the signing of the voluntary peace accord. Also, the Head of Personnel Management and other top council officers of both councils in the state were present to observe the process.

It marked a turning point and defining moment for the free flow of marine transportation and the beginning of trade and commerce in Delta riverine communities.