By CHARLES IWUOHA

Relative peace has returned to the warring communities of Ndukwe in Amasiri, Afikpo North Local Government Area and Okporojo, Oso Edda, in Afikpo South Local Government Area both in Ebonyi state, following vigorous efforts of Governor David Umahi to that effect.

Addressing selected leaders of both local governments in Uburu, Saturday, the governor emphasized the pricelessness of peace above all other human pursuits.

"You have been living as brothers and enjoying the closeness of each other. Why would you allow land to be the source of this level of quarrel? Land is important, we know but a wealthy person can buy enough land to contain a community if the money is there, why make it an issue to the point of wasting human lives and killing innocent people who might not even know why they were killed? This will certainly bring curses to both the land and the perpetrators."

Continuing, the governor noted that the mistake people make about war is thinking that it is local.

"You both have prominent sons and daughters living across the world. If war is encouraged, it could degenerate to individual and isolated killings of those your children who do not even know what you are fighting for."

Agreeing with the governor, Ezeogo Idam Bassey Onya, the Ubaghala III of Amasiri, on behalf of the Amasiri leaders stressed the fact that Amasiri lineages have relatives in Edda and vice versa meaning that the two sides are brothers and sisters.

"There is no family in Amasiri that does not have relatives in Edda showing that we are all interrelated. We have always lived in peace and will not allow anything to shake it."

Speaking for the Edda leaders, Dr. Mike Okoro (Vote for Jesus) noted that the relationship between Amsiri and Edda predates creation and has always been brotherly.

"We cannot allow anything to spoil it now. We have decided to keep living in peace and ensure that nothing shakes us" he noted.

A twelve-man committee was set up to go to the land in dispute, study the issues and advise the government on the way to have everlasting peace in the area.