By CHARLES IWUOHA

Ebonyi State Government will on Thursday this week commence the final process of demarcating the disputed land in Effium and Ezza-Effium communities in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.

The people of Effium and Ezza-Effium have been at war since 2021 with many lives lost and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.

The immediate past administration of David Umahi has made several attempts to resolve the crisis but failed in the process.

In finding lasting peace, Governor Francis Nwifuru set up a committee to look into the crisis. The committee made some recommendations.

At a church service on Sunday at Government House chapel, Centenary City, Abakaliki, the Governor said implementation of the government's white paper on the crisis would commence on Thursday this week.

He disclosed that he will sign a bill for the creation of autonomous communities in Effium on that day and also be in the area to flag off construction of the road that was created to demarcate the warring clans as part of efforts to end the crisis.

Nwifuru who revealed that the first autonomous community to be occupied by the people of Ezza in that area shall be called Alioma, threatened to deal decisively with anybody or group of persons who may attempt to truncate the peace building process.

He noted that he was not siding any clan in the crisis but hold that Ezza-Effium people have rights to live in Effium the land of their forefathers.

“We will assent to the bill and flag off the demarcation of the land on Thursday this week. By 10am, we will assent to the bill into law, by 1pm we will be at Effium to flag off the construction of the road. We will also create more communities for the two clans.

“We have agreed that Ezzas that are living in Effium, have every full rights to live there because they can never be a visitor in their fathers land and that is what we agreed.

“We also agreed that they are entitled to have their own community with their own traditional ruler like other clan have,” the Governor said.