The Effium community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has rejected the Ebonyi State government’s decisions to end the long-standing communal crisis between them and Ezza Effium, saying they will go to court to get justice.

Governor Francis Nwifuru, in his wise decision to end the age-old war, had on Thursday created five autonomous communities: Effium, Ekeeigwe, and Ijem Autonomous Communities, which belong to Effium people, while Alioma and Ezekuna Alioma Autonomous Communities belong to Ezza people.

The Governor has also flagged off the demarcation of the boundary between Effium and Ezza Effium people, now called Alioma.

While warning those behind the crisis to refrain from such, Gov. Nwifuru announced that the forest now belongs to the federal government, while some selected areas like the market, Catholic Church, Assemblies of God, and others now belong to the state government.

The Governor had assented to the peace accord bill between Effium and Alioma, formally known as Ezza Effium people, passed by the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

However, the Effium community, in a statement signed by the President-General of Effium Community Town Union, Dr. James Agena, which The Guardian obtained a copy of on Friday in Abakaliki, rejected the decision of the state government, saying they will not give their land to strangers and will take the matter to court.

He noted that Effium people did not attend the ceremony where the governor made the pronouncement that part of Effium land had been ceded to strangers, adding that the governor’s visit to Effium was not welcomed and his decision was not welcomed either.

Dr. Agena noted that Effium community will not accept the report of the committee chaired by Franklin Ogbuewu, who is an In-law to the Ezza people, but will accept the earlier recommendation of the peace committee headed by the Emeritus Catholic Bishop, Bishop Nnachi Okoro.

They called on the international community to come to their aid because the governor is using his power to collect from them what was given to them by God, noting that Effium people will never allow it.

The statement read: “Yesterday, the governor of Ebonyi State, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, came to Effium and made a pronouncement that part of Effium land has been ceded to strangers.

“His coming yesterday to Effium was not welcomed. We did not welcome him to the event, that is why we boycotted his visit to our land. His decision was not welcomed.

“Therefore, we are going to employ every legal means to resist it. We are going to stop him from executing the decision and his order. We are going to resist it with all our effort and might.

“It is never heard anywhere in any part of the world where the land that belongs to the indigenes will be forcefully taken from them and given to strangers who lived in that land.

“So, it is uncalled for. Except he is forcefully taking the land that was given to us by God, that was left for us by our ancestors, and giving it to strangers. What he did today was evidently clear that he is using his power to collect what belongs to us and we are going to resist it with every sense of it.

“This is not how to make peace. This is bringing more flames into the burning fire. We have also continued to reiterate that anything short of the implementation of the recommendation of the peace committee headed by Emeritus Bishop Nnachi Okoro is totally not acceptable to the people of Effium.

“We can never accept the report of the committee chaired by Franklin Ogbuewu, who is an in-law to the Ezza people; hence, he is an interested party in the crisis in Effium. He is biased, unfair, and unjust in his decisions.

“He should be fair and just. But his decision is unfair, unjust, and there is nothing like equity in his action. For that reason, we are going to resist it. We, the Effium people, will not allow it to stand.

“We are calling on the international community to come to our aid because the governor is using his power to collect from us what was given to us by God, and Effium people will never allow it. We want the governor to get this message. It is never done anywhere. We want the governor to hear it. Effium people will never allow it to stand.

“He should go back to the drawing board and reconsider his decision. We are equally calling on the elders of Izzi to call their son to order to reconsider his decision on this matter. It is uncalled for and it can never bring peace in Effium land. It will rather aggravate the crisis.” (The Guardian)