* NEMA, SEMA call for peaceful co-existence
The officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) who went to Ezillo in Ebonyi to donate relief materials to the victims of the New Year clashes narrowly escaped mob attack.
The team, headed by Dr Bamdele Onimode, the agency’s South-East Zonal Coordinator, had donated relief materials to the community and proceeded to the Federal Medical Centre, Abakaliki, to visit some of the victims.
The irate villagers blocked the road leading to Enugu from the medical centre and refused the NEMA officials’ vehicles passage.
The villagers, who wielded machetes, guns and sticks, were poised for confrontation with the police.
One of the villagers said on Wednesday that the incident followed the arrest of one of them by the police deployed to the community.
“We will not allow any car to cross this road until the police release our arrested member.
“We do not need the items donated to us by NEMA again; we will cause problem here if our man is not released because we have only few survivors left in our community.”
The villagers refused to open up the road even after their leaders had appealed to them to let go of the NEMA team.
The team had to take an alternative route leading to the main road after a volunteer helped them out
Meanwhile the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Ebonyi State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) have called for peaceful co-existence among the people of Ezillo and Ezza communities in Ebonyi.
Presenting relief material to victims of the New Year eve communal conflict in Ezillo, the South- East Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Dr Bandele Onimode, said peace was necessary for the development of the area.
No fewer than 60 persons were feared dead during the attack by some unknown persons in the area.
Onimode, however, appealed to the victims of the crisis to avoid retaliation and put themselves together as they could achieve greater things with hard work, adding that the agency would re-assess the situation in due course.
“As at the time when others were preparing for the New Year, members of your community were being ushered into grave yards and hospitals. It is really unfortunate and we pray God that this will be the end of the crisis in this community.
“To the affected community, do not think of retaliation, only God can retaliate on your behalf and as you live in peace within yourselves and your neighbours, you just discover that whoever wants to do mischief will naturally go down the drain.
“It is our own belief in NEMA that instead of bringing relief items always, we should be thinking of developmental projects in your community.’’
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Ebonyi SEMA, Mr Igboke Umunna, applauded NEMA for the prompt attention to the crisis.
The Coordinator of Ishielu Development Centre, Mr Lawson Edeh, urged the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the communal clash believed to be fuelled by politicians.
“So, what we are calling is that the Federal Government should come and look into this matter, assist the state government to find end to this because I can not see a situation whereby a person who God has created and give you, this is where you belong to, should just be extinguished from the earth.’’
Bags of rice, garri, cartons of bathing soap, sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, as well as gallons of vegetable and red oil were among the relief material donated to the community by NEMA and the National Commission for Refugees.