By Abiola Olawale
A pressure group, Isoko Monitoring Group (IMG), on Tuesday appealed to the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, to weigh in and help to resolve the decades-old dispute between Igbide and Emede communities, located in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta state.
The group which called on Omo-Agege, the Senator representing Delta Central in the Senate to step inThe group which called on Omo-Agege, the Senator representing Delta Central from the present and imminent danger, said its appeal is to help save the crisis from escalating further.
The group said its concerns are borne out of the fact that the violent clashes could escalate more than the present situation if prompt steps are not taken to help resolve differences between both feuding communities.
Following the appeal from the IMG, the Deputy Senate President who also doubles as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Omo-Agege has responded and assured the IMG that he will reach out, initiate complementary steps to on-going peace measures and ultimately help ensure that there is peace among the two communities with respect to the rule of law.
Omo-Agege’s response to the call from the IMG was released in a statement on Tuesday by Special Adviser to the DSP on Legislative and Plenary Matters, Prince Efe Dudu.
According to the statement, the Deputy Senate President recognizes the imminent danger in Isoko community and as a result will take all the necessary steps in respect of the rule of law, to ensure that all the parties involved in recent and past clashes will embrace peace and coexist together.
The statement reads, “The DSP agrees wholly with the IMG that the present state of Insecurity in these Isoko communities is unfortunate, intolerable, and should be responsibly managed to attain sustainable peace…The office of the DSP hereby assures the IMG, and indeed the Isoko Nation, that the DSP has taken serious note of its concerns and suggestions and will take every lawful, necessary, and pragmatic step to contribute his quota to peace in the affected”
Accordingly, Senator Omo-Agege also prayed for and urged the Governor of Delta State, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his team with respect to managing the security challenge in the two Isoko communities of Delta State.
The statement reads, “As a firm believer in our nation’s federal constitutional democratic governance structure, the DSP knows that the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa as the Chief security officer of the state has huge responsibilities as far as the resolution of the issues is concerned. He prays for and encourages Senator Okowa and his team to manage the causal factors of the problems and the resultant insecurity responsibly and effectively.”
The New Diplomat recalls Igbide and Emede both in Isoko South local Government clashed last December. The communal clash was reported to have taken seven lives and destroyed several properties.
The communal dispute was as a result of the age-long rivalry, that started in 1985, leading to the incessant clashes between the people of Igbide and Emede communities over the years.
