Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja communities in Warri-south west and Udu local government areas of Delta State have been advised to eschew hostilities, especially ones associated with land ownership, as no amount of land worth the blood of any Deltan.
Governorship candidate on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, FNIM, gave the warning following renewed fight between both communities.
The former minister of State for education, charged them against further bitterness, saying that they should not spill each others blood over a mere piece of land.
He said that when he is voted as the governor in May 29th 2023, he would end the age-long battle that has left many dead, with others sustaining various degree of wounds.
The frontline governorship contender noted that the crisis was unnecessary, following the wave of kidnappings and killings engulfing the entire country.
Gbagi, while appealing to traditional rulers of both communities to beg their subjects to sheath their swords, said the battle was already taking a toll on the image of Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja which by extension, affect the economic fortunes of the two villages.
He stressed that it was irresponsible for the communities which hitherto lived peacefully to resort to wanton destruction of lives and property because of a piece of land.
Hear him: “great citizens of Delta State, I want to appeal to the two warring communities that there is no point taking each other’s life as it does not worth it.
“The problem that has bedeviled Delta State in the last seven and half years, is one of lack of truth, and lack of decisiveness and doing whatever we are doing without the fear of God.
“Unless, people are treated equitably and people who are wrong are told that they are wrong. People who are right are told they are right and should be told to continue to be right.
“Unless, we are honest with ourselves, unless we allow Deltans to grow, the growth of Delta has been retarded for too long. We must come together, Deltans more particularly my children and youths, we must come together to make sure that it is a win-win situation.
“Please, the elections is by the corner. As I go round as a beckon of hope to our hopeless situation and hopelessness, it for me a time to do what we call serious rethinking.
“I plead with the warring communities, I will resolve this issues when I take over power in 2023 May 29 and everybody will be satisfied. Truth is the only true cure to a dangerous drifting on people in our society like ours.
“It is my apology, please restrain yourself. Do not destroy even one life. Please, take it as a temporary situation that must be resolved with the fear of God any moment from May 29th 2023”.
He thanks Deltans especially the youth for the massive movement, “when the time of anything comes, it will happen. Deltans restrain yourself from being deceived to destruction” he added.
