Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, yesterday said no indigene of Effium Community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state would be appointed into the state public service until the people of the war-torn community began to show true commitment towards ensuring lasting peace in the area.
Umahi stated this in a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, in Abakaliki.
He lamented that stakeholders and youths from the area had been secretly fueling the war against the stance of the state government.
He condemned attacks on security agents sent to maintain peace and order by youths of the community. He assured that the state government would continue to do everything possible to protect the lives and properties of the people of Effium/Ezza Effium. He regretted that the stakeholders and youths of the community were not truly committed to peaceful coexistence despite the interventions by government and efforts of security agencies to bring to a halt all hostilities in that community.
“It is noteworthy that the state government, in considering the conditions of the people, especially the aged and other vulnerable persons, did set aside the sum of N100 million in the first instance to rehabilitate these helpless people both at Effium and Ezza Effium with a view to mitigating the socio- economic conditions of the people,” he said.
“Wherefore, Executive Council considered that whereas the state government has sought the opinions of Effium and Ezza Effium leaders on the project for the rehabilitation of their people, Ezza Effium agreed for the building projects for the affected persons whereas Effium natives resisted any such projects in any part of Effium; whereas they have failed to agree on the project that will be mutually beneficial to Effium and Ezza Effium and whereas government has noticed unwarranted incidents of attack on the military and police formations assigned to restore peace and order in the afflicted community, government condemns the disagreement by the stakeholders of both groups of Effium/Ezza Effium community and the senseless attacks especially on the security agencies deployed to ensure the security of the people of Effium/ Ezza Effium.
