The Chairman of Onicha LGA, Mr. Ogboffia, and Deputy-General Surveyor, Mr. Ekeroku, denied all the allegations leveled against them by the women, saying that their aim in demarcating the land was to restore peace to the disputed land.

Over 100 people have been killed within five years in a land dispute between Abaomege and Ishinkwo communities in Onicha local government area of Ebonyi State.

The Chairman of Onicha LGA of the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogboffia, disclosed while reacting to the women?s protest over the land crisis that many lives have been lost since the crisis started in 1912.

He appealed to the people of the two communities to sheath their swords and embrace peace, awaiting the government?s demarcation of the land, which would bring lasting peace.

The women of Ishinkwo besieged the state government house Abakaliki, protesting the land grabbing from Abaomege people in government, and called for transparency in the land demarcation.

The protesters, numbering over 100, carried placards with inscriptions such as ?We reject demarcation without a map, Ekeroku has violated the white paper, we reject blockage of our access road at Akpoha bridge, we want peace, but without justice, peace is impossible.?

Other placard inscriptions include: ?Eight swamplands are in dispute, not our ancient homes or old primary schools. Ekeroku is compromised. Change him before he causes another war. Demarcation must be according to the white paper. Is it too much to ask? We built military rundowns on our land. We won?t let Ogboffia give it to Abaomege and his people. Governor Francis Nwifuru saves our land.?

The women who read their protest letter to Governor Nwifuru, signed by the National President of Ishinkwo Development Union Women wing, Mrs. Fidelia Nworie, and its Secretary, Mrs. Magrarh Itumo, and ten others, called for government intervention.

The protest letter titled ?The demarcation is fundamentally flawed, skewed, and potential to cause a breach of the peace: We request your fatherly intervention.

?We wish to express our most profound appreciation for Your Excellency?s sincere commitment to ending the age-long dispute between us and our sister community, Abaomege. We can?t thank you enough.

?When the land demarcation began on Monday, 17th February 2025, we felt great relief, knowing that the end had come to the hitherto perennial armageddon that had characterized the dispute. Our community broke into a paroxysm of celebration and praise of your name.

?Sadly, however, Your Excellency, our joy was short-lived; it was cut short by our sad and sudden realization that the demarcation process was without regard for the White Paper, the legal framework of the Terms of Settlement, as it were. We also noticed that the process was characterized by fraud and corruption and conducted in a manner calculated to favor Abaomege over our community.

?We cried to the world through the press media. However, it would seem as though no one cared about us, even as the skewed demarcation has continued without mitigation.

?This is why we are here, Your Excellency. We are here to cry to you, believing that as a father, you will listen to our cry and save our land.

?The Survey Map, which is a critical component of the White Paper, has also been disregarded by the Deputy Surveyor-General of the State, Mr. Ekeroku. Despite all our entreaties, Mr. Ekeroku has blatantly refused to make the Map available to guide the demarcation, choosing instead to rely on intuition.

? Our prayer is that the survey map as captured by the White Paper be produced for both communities to eliminate doubts about the demarcation and to enable us to monitor compliance.

We recommend that Mr. Ekeroku, the leader of the Demarcation Committee, be replaced to restore transparency, credibility, and confidence in the demarcation process.

?That our ancient buildings and landmarks, Primary School, and the location of the Military Pin-down ceded to Abaomege, possibly in error, be reversed that the Local Government Chairman be prevailed upon to be impartial in his supervision of the exercise in the future

?That Mr. Ogbofia should advise his people to reconnect us to the National Grid if he is sincere with his gospel of peace. The actions of Mr. Ekeroku and Mr. Ogbofia have not only undermined the peace process but have also created an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion. We request Your Excellency to intervene to reinvigorate the peacebuilding,? the women stated.

The Chairman of Onicha LGA, Mr. Ogboffia, and Deputy-General Surveyor, Mr. Ekeroku, denied all the allegations leveled against them by the women, saying that their aim in demarcating the land was to restore peace to the disputed land. (Opinion Nigeria)

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