Delta State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme has cautioned communities not to lay ownership claim to another autonomous community in any part of the State.
Sir Onyeme gave the caution yesterday at his office in Asaba when he received on courtesy call Leaders from Owah-Abbi Community, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State.
Sir Onyeme who expressed government dismay over communities that would want to breach the relative peace in the state, warned that the State government will not see crisis in any community and remain quiet.
Sir Onyeme while addressing the leaders of Owah-Abbi over the issue of autonomy assured that the state government will look into the documents presented and take a position on it.
According to him; "The autonomy of Owah-Abbi which is the main reason for this visit,, we will study your documents and laiase with the relevant government agencies and come out with a position.
"Government will look into the issues and take a position officially and when that is done, it will be clear that anybody that goes contrary to cause crisis will be held responsible."
"It will not be wise for leaders to begin to lay claim to other leaders position because nobody is a lesser human being than the other, nobody is a slave to the other".
"As a government, we will not see crisis in any community and keep quiet. As communities in Delta State, we must manage ourselves and continue to remain peaceful.
"The community is our own, all of us are Ukwaini people and will not see crisis in our community and just keep quiet. As Ndokwa people and as Ukwaini people, we must manage ourselves so that we will continue to remain peaceful as one united people".
"It is very unfortunate that the Nigeria society is turning into a different thing. People who probably have means can just wake up and control the Nigeria police to go and arrest people and the police will go and start arresting people without proper investigation. I don't know where we are going to in this country".
The deputy governor who expressed dismay over conflicts and crisis usually caused by the discovery of Oil in communities said;
"Let every community manage its own resources and we should also be educating ourselves. How much are we getting from this oil that is always causing us so much pains and problem? When a community sometimes will not even get up to N 5 million and yet there is so much war involved in it by communities".
"We should be educating our people that Oil should not begin to cause crisis because of the peanut of oil. Communities should learn to educate their youths, the money from the oil is nothing compared to the human lives. Those that are collecting the large chunk of money are somewhere else and we are here fighting ourselves in the community".
Earlier, Chief Imala Odufu who led the delegation of leaders said, their visit was to appeal for government intervention in the activities going on in their community, saying if not addressed will lead to serious disruption in the near future.
Chief Imala said, Owah-Abbi has been a peaceful and peace loving community until the scenario changed recently due to the destructive menace of their community farmlands across River Ethiope by Fulani herdsmen.
He also noted that the discovery of oil in the community farmlands across River Ethiope and the threat of the Ukwata of Umukwata Kingdom, a neighbouring community has continued to become a source of worry.
Chief Imala noted that, the different type of threat from the Ukwata of Umukwata Kingdom has become a major cause of concern, saying that the Ukwata has initiated his modus operandi of making false allegations and arresting prominent community members and intimidate them.
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