By NWOGHA NDUBUISI ANDY, Abakaliki
The replanting of the seed of peace that before now suffered discord and the uniting umbrella tree of Ibom Amachi, Ejegheibom and Eja communities of Ebonyi State and Cross River State, which was inadvertently uprooted by the enemy of peace has been replanted by the Cross River/Ebonyi Youths Peace Development Movement during their peace tour sensitization to the host communities.
The remarkable event which covered forty-seven villages within the border communities was dramatized at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Amachi, Ebonyi State and at St. Patrick’s Secondary School Eja, Cross River State respectively.
It is worthy to note that the visit to all the 47 villages at the border areas of Cross River and Ebonyi States was initiated by Youths Peace Development Movement in fufilment of the Organization’s promise to see to the end of unwarranted hostilities and the barbaric act of killings and wanton destruction of properties at the border corridor of the two sister States.
On arrival at Ibom Amachi, the peace Ambassadors met village agog in what they described as the women folk masquerade outing to spiritually cleanse the land of Ibom Amachi unholy spirits in readiness to receive the Youths Peace Organisation.
In attendance during the meeting were Mr. Big Ben, a stakeholder from Amachi community and Hon. Obinna Nwiboko – Coordinator Amachi Development Center among other leaders of from the community accepted the peace communique issued to Amachi community by the President of the youths peace movement, Barr Paschal Nwenyi Nnaji and his team.
Mr Big Ben in his good will message eulogized the youths initiative for taking the bull by the horn in advancing the peace building process further than ever before into the remote segment of the 47 border villages of Cross River and Ebonyi State affected by the crises.
In his words, “If the previous peace committees had adopted a similar tactics likes these, the issue of hostilities would have been a thing of the past and the degree of devastation recorded would not have been as bad as it is and it would have also not been long the uniformed is educated on the consequences of fighting ignorantly”, Mr Big Ben added.
The youth leader of Ibom Amachi, Mr Phillip Nwanzor, and Mr Kenneth Ekoroku together with other community leaders and the elders’ representatives expressed joy on the youths peace campaign visit to Ibom Amachi community, stating that Amachi people are known to be peace lovers and that when the crises was at its peak, Amachi people did everything possible to maintain their usual peaceful correlation with their neighboring Eja community.
They assured the Peace team that Ibom Amachi community would not only respect the items of the peace communique but will do everything possible to maintain their cordial relationship with the Eja people of Cross River State from generation to generation.
At St. Patrick’s Secondary School Eja, Cross River State, the Youths Peace Movement was greeted with an atmosphere of a Presidential visit as the crowd at the venue of the event was intimidating which according to Comrade Kingsley Agara, one of the stakeholders said it was a roll call of the participating villages for a celebration of hope brought to them by the youths of Cross River and Ebonyi States.
The leader of the Youths Peace Movement, Barr Paschal Nwenyi said, “words ain’t sufficient for me to express how happy we the youths organization are on how wide the Eja people and Ijegheibom opened their two hands to welcome us in their domain”.
Mr Romanus Ekpe, Mr Daniel Ebok, Comrade Kingsley Agara, Mr Efeghe Uduma and Mrs Fani Nchekpe – one of the women who volunteered to join the Youths Peace Movement, in their separate speeches promised their unalloyed commitment and sustenance of the seed of peace sown between them (the people of Eja and Ejegheibom) and their counterpart – Ibom Amachi people by the Cross River/Ebonyi Youths Peace Development Movement.
Chief Alphonus Agara in his good will message thanked the youths, and pointed out that that he felt fulfilled on the extra mile the youths have gone by visiting all the 47 villages at the border areas of Cross River and Ebonyi States preaching peace and harmonious coexistence.
He prayed God for longevity of all the members of the Youths organization to witness the systematic generational transition of the rare initiative of the youths.
