Communal crisis: Alia urges Bonta, Okpute communities to embrace dialogue
Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue has met with members of Bonta and Okpute communities in Konshisha and Oju Local Government Areas as part of efforts to deescalate tension and restore peace in the warring communities.
The meeting, attended by two commissioners, two lawmakers and the Security Adviser to the governor. followed a protest on September 30, by youths in the two communities, over resurgence of crisis in the area.
The governor mandated the delegation, which include the Commissioners for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Mr Aondowase Kunde, and that of Agriculture, Moses Ogbaji, to sensitise the people to sheath their swords and give peace a chance no matter the level of provocation.
”You must learn to report to relevant authorities, any issue that would lead to breakdown of law and order.
“We are here for peace. This is a time we should be rejoicing, we have suffered so much in Benue in the past and God has sent his son, Alia, to put smiles on our faces, so, we should not be engaging in another violence.
“As the commissioner of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, it is my intention to bring relief to the people and not to come and settle crisis.
“Very soon, I will be returning with palliatives for the people, so I urge you all to stay in peace, no matter the level of provocation, you should choose peace,” Kunde said.
Also at Okpute, the Commissioner for Agriculture advised the youths against the use of arms, emphasising that “dialogue and peace are the way to go”.
He also advised the youths to engage in useful ventures, including farming to fend for themselves.
“Gov. Alia sent us to greet you, he said we should tell you that he has not forgotten you and promised to return to say thank you.
“He is not interested in who started the trouble but interested in maintaining peace, so, I appeal to you to allow peace to reign.
“Guns and machetes are no longer solving problems, but dialogue,” Ogbaji said.
The lawmaker, representing Oju 1 State Constituency, Mr Blessed Onah, told the people that “war has no customer just as there is no alternative to peace”.
He urged the people to eschew violence and choose peace at all times, adding that “what the mouth cannot give us by way of dialogue, we shouldn’t get it with another instrument.”
On his part, the Special Adviser on Security Matters, Mr Joseph Har, told the two communities that “asking for peace is not a sign of weakness but that of strength”.
Har assured them that the government has the capacity to deal with any trouble maker, but has decided that dialogue is the best.
The adviser, therefore, urged the communities to work with the government to restore peace and harmony to the area, for their progress and development.
Responding on behalf of Bonta community, Mr Ahula Akpile, thanked the governor for promptly dispatching the delegation to avert further crisis, and pledged their support and loyalty to the state government.
He warned the youths against any form of violence and urged them to allow the government to wade into the matter and bring lasting solutions.
A community leader in Okpute, Mr Joseph Agbaga, commended the Alia-led administration for working to ensure peace in the area, and pledged that they would always ensure that the youths conduct themselves in an appropriate manner.
He said, “We know that this governor will be different and we pray God to give him the grace to bring an end to this crisis.”
Both sides have accused each other of aggressive postures which had led to the recurring crisis in the area.
According to the Youth Leader of Bonta, Mr Titus Akaakegh, the latest crisis followed the harassment of a woman from the community who was allegedly chased out of her farm by youth from Okpute on the pretext that she encroached into their land.
However, another person from Okpute gave a different reason, saying they were reacting to the destruction of their market allegedly by youths from Bonta.
He said that the market was recently rebuilt after it was destroyed in similar clashes.
