Igbeagu/Ukelle crisis: Settle your differences, Makarfi counsels warring communities

PRESIDENTIAL aspirant and former National Chairman Caretaker Committee, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi has counselled the people of Igbeagu and Ukelle communities in Ebonyi and Cross River states respectively to sink their differences over the communal clash that occurred between them.

In a statement made available to Tribune Online and signed by his spokesman, Muktar Sirajo in Kaduna on Tuesday noted that ‘This needless descent to lawlessness should grieve all right-thinking people, especially coming from communities that have lived peacefully with one another from time immemorial.

He said the relationships built over time should have been used as a vehicle for coming together to look at whatever problem it was that was allowed to snowball into the needless loss of lives and property.

The Senator appealed to the people of Ukelle and Igbeagu and indeed all Nigerians to always resist the temptation of picking up arms against each other at the slightest provocation.

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The presidential hopeful instead called on Nigerians to imbibe our well known civilised culture of sitting down to discuss issues and peacefully resolve problems in a mature manner.

Senator Makarfi believed that there’s no problem between any two or more people or communities that dialogue cannot resolve since even reconciliation terms after whatever kind of battle are normally agreed on sitting at around table.

He also called on the relevant authorities to, not only up the ante but also restructure the security architecture of the country to make it more proactive in terms of, especially intelligence gathering and other operational necessities such that situations capable of threatening peace and security are easily sniffed and nipped in the bud.

Senator Makarfi condoles with the people of the communities and the governments and people of Cross River and Ebonyi States over this unfortunate incidence, even as he enjoins the two communities to sheathe the sword and employ dialogue to resolve their differences and disagreements.