The Ebonyi State Government has taken over some hectares of land in Izzi Local Government Area to forestall future bloody dispute between the people of Mkpuma-Ekwoku and Ogwuzeru-Onweya communities.

Governor David Umahi made the pronouncement when he visited the disputed land, a few hours after three people were reported killed and many houses burnt by youths of the two communities on Sunday.

“Our position as government is that anywhere we have land dispute, government which is naturally the owner of land will take it over. So from today, that is 14th of November, the entire land that is in contention is hereby revoked and taken over by government. So, nobody will farm on this land again; it becomes government land,” a statement on Tuesday by Umahi’s Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya, quoted him as saying.

The governor, who however, announced a donation of N10m for the rebuilding of the burnt houses and provision of relief for the victims, also directed the political appointees from the LGA to forfeit 50 per cent of their allowances towards the rebuilding of the houses.

The governor, in the company of the Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Peace Ibekwe-Abdallah, and other security chiefs in the state, described the killings and torching of houses as very barbaric.

“We also condemn the act of burning the houses. It is so barbaric and highly condemnable. We are very shocked that at this point of our development people could do such satanic act,” Umahi lamented.

He directed the security chiefs to fish out the perpetrators and ensure peace returned to the area.

The governor also urged the security chiefs to provide security for those who planted rice on the disputed land to harvest the rice.

He said: “I want to ask the Commissioner of Police that those who planted the rice must have to come and harvest it. Whether somebody is dead or not, this rice must be harvested. So the police people must be posted here and the owners of the rice must be encouraged to come and harvest it.”

Lauding the security agents for their timely intervention, Governor Umahi enjoined the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, the Izzi LGA Caretaker Committee Chairman, Richard Idike and traditional rulers in the council to find a lasting solution to the dispute.

Government, according to the governor, would only return the land to the original owners once lasting peace returned.

“If there is lasting peace, we will give back the land to them, but until that is achieved, the land belongs to government,” he stated.

Umahi called on the people of Mkpuma-Ekwoku to remain calm and not contemplate reprisal as those responsible would be brought to book.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Nwifuru, who also spoke during the inspection, noted that the land dispute was politically-motivated, informing the governor that stakeholders in the area were already meeting to find a lasting end to the crisis.

“The incident wouldn’t have happened. It is politically- motivated; but we are trying to resolve it within ourselves. We apologise for what happened and we promise that such will not happen again.”

The LGA Chairman, Idike explained that the land dispute between Ogwuzeru-Onweya and Mkpuma-Ekwoku had defied amicable settlement in the past since 30 years.

•Photo shows Governor Umahi.

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