As part of the Ebonyi State Government’s efforts to ensure lasting peace in Effium community of Ohaukwu Local Government Area, the Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru has disclosed government’s intention to create more autonomous communities to accommodate the people of Ezza and Effium in Effium community respectively.
The governor explained that the implementation of the government’s white paper on the troubled Effium communal land would commence on Thursday, 8th May 2025.
Governor Nwifuru who revealed that the first autonomous community to be occupied by the people of Ezza in that area shall be called Alioma, also threatened to deal decisively with anybody or group of persons who may attempt to truncate the peace building process.
According to Governor Nwifuru,the plan will commence on Thursday this week with process of demarcating the disputed land in Effium, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.
Recall that the people of Effium and Ezza-Effium have been at war since 2021 with many lives lost and property worth billions of naira destroyed.
The crisis defiled all efforts by governor David Umahi’s led administration in the state.
On assumption of office, Governor Nwifuru set up a committee to find lasting solutions to the crisis and the committee made some recommendations.
He disclosed that he will sign a bill for the creation of autonomous communities in Effium on that day and also be in the area to flag-off construction of the road that was created to demarcate the warring clans as part of efforts to end the crisis.
Nwifuru who revealed that the first autonomous community to be occupied by the people of Ezza in that area shall be called Alioma, threatened to deal decisively with anybody or group of persons who may attempt to truncate the peace building process.
He noted that he was not siding any clan in the crisis but hold that Ezza-Effium people have rights to live in Effium the land of their forefathers.
“We will assent to the bill and flag-off the demarcation of the land on Thursday this week. By 10:am, we will assent to the bill into law, by 1pm, we will be at Effium to flag-off the construction of the road. We will also create more communities for the two clans.
“We have agreed that Ezzas that are living in Effium, have every full right to live there because they can never be visitors in their fathers’ land and that is what we agreed.
*We also agreed that they are entitled to have their own community with their own traditional ruler like other clans have,” he noted.