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Okuama Inks 9-Point Peace Accord With Okoloba
The leaders of the two neighbouring communities of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area (LGA) and Okoloba of Bomadi LGA of Delta State have signed a nine-point peace accord to draw the curtain on their longstanding hostilities.
To add bite to the accord, they set up a 10-man Monitoring Committee at a meeting on Saturday at the Government House Annex, Warri.
It was gathered that the Chairman, Bomadi Local Government council, Rawlings Andaye, brokered the peace meeting in collaboration with his Ughelli South counterpart, Lucky Iroro Avweromie.
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Notable attendees of the meeting where Okuama and Okoloba communities resolved to embrace peace and to “live in peace and harmony” were the leadership of both communities, royal fathers and security agents from both Local Government Areas.
The Peace accord provided thus, “Immediate Ceasefire: Both communities agree to an immediate ceasefire and an end to all hostilities.
“Denouncement of Violence: Both communities denounce the recent military operations and the looting and destruction of property in the Okuama community.
“Reconciliation: Both communities agree to work towards reconciliation and forgiveness.
“Access to Farmlands and Farming Activities: Both communities agree to grant free access to farmlands and farming activities within our respective boundaries, recognizing the importance of agriculture to our livelihood.”
In addition, the peace accord provided that both communities appealed to the government to strengthen the joint patrols along the Forcados River bank to ensure safety and security.
“Free Passage along the Forcados River: Both communities agree to allow free passage of boats and passengers along the Forcados River bank bordering both communities.
“Release of Properties: Both communities appeal to the chairmen of both local governments to launch a thorough investigation into the alleged theft of belongings by neighbouring communities during and after the operations of the military at Okuama community. We further appeal to both chairmen for commitment towards identifying and recovering the stolen items, ensuring that justice is served and affected individuals are duly compensated.
“Dispute Resolution: Both communities agree to resolve disputes through dialogue and peaceful means.
“Community Engagement: Both communities agree to engage in community outreach programmes to promote peace and understanding.”
Declaring open the peace parley, Andaye, who chaired it, noted that it was convened at the instance of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori who, according to him, mandated him to “iron out all aching issues between the two communities”.
“The main purpose of this meeting is that we have no other option than to live in peace. The Okoloba and Okuama crisis is not from God, it is of the devil and no price is too big to pay for peace to reign between these two communities”, the Bomadi Council chairman stated.
He spoke further, “You people have lived together peacefully in the days of old and you can do same today. Let that old relationship between Okuama and Okoloba be sustained.
“Our governor, Sheriff Oborevwori is aware of this meeting and he is expecting us to report back to him after the meeting. If we don’t agree to live in peace now, we are planting hatred and persistent conflicts for our future generations.
“The ultimate goal of this meeting is to ensure lasting peace between Okuama and Okoloba communities, and we want both communities to go back to your age-long relationship of peaceful co-existence”.
In the same vein, the Chairman, Ughelli South LG, Avweromie, stated that “sustainable peace could only be achieved if both communities forgave one another’s offences and mistakes”.
According to Avweromie, “No other person can settle this issue but the people of Okuama and Okoloba communities. We have to speak as brothers and sisters, lasting peace can only be achieved if you forgive one another.
“Let us maintain our old relationship where we farm and fish together because we want free access to the river, we want free trade in the river and it is a must Okuama and Okoloba lived peacefully”.
In his contribution, the Ovie of Ewu Kingdom, His Majesty, Clement Oghenekevwe Ikolo, emphasised the need for peaceful coexistence between the two communities, stressing that “an atmosphere of crisis often hatched out negative effects on an area and the people.
“Crisis destroys the very fabrics of our communities. Crisis breeds fear, sorrow, economic hardship and deaths. When we live in peace, we develop our domains and there is no need for us to be fighting one another.”
He urged the representatives of both communities to “go back home and talk to your people on the need for peaceful coexistence.
“We must refresh our minds and have the spirit of forgiveness so we can stand together as a people.”
On his part, the Pere of Akugbene-Mein Kingdom, Pere Kalanama VIII, commended the two Local Government Council Chairmen on the peace deal.
In his words, “both Okoloba and Okuama have been living together for over three hundred years and I want to appeal that it’s enough of the fight. The land dispute should be amicably settled.
“I want to urge the state government to step in to demarcate the boundaries between the two communities for lasting peace to reign.”
Also, the Ovie of Arhavwarien Kingdom, Solomon Okukeren, preached peace and unity to both communities urging them to stop the spread of hate speech.
“Okuama and Okoloba communities were one people. I want both communities to embrace peace and harmony”, the Ovie said.
The leadership of both communities pledged their willingness to live as brothers and thanked the initiators of the peace move, in their respective responses to the speeches.
The Secretary-General of Ewu Kingdom, Amb. Edewor Egedegbe, who led the Okuama community representatives, commended Gov Oborevwori and the two Local Government chairmen for initiating the peace move.
While pledging Okuama community’s readiness to live peacefully with its neighbouring Okoloba community, Egedegbe lauded Gov Oborevwori “for ensuring that there is sustainable peace between us.
“I also commend the efforts of the council chairmen and traditional rulers on this peace building process.”
He assured that “the people of Okuama are eternally committed to peace between both communities.
“We also use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to follow due process in the approach on issues as innocent Okuama indigenes are suffering, and as we are speaking we don’t know the whereabouts of our frontline community leaders.”
On his part, leader of the Okoloba community delegation Dr David Akpobolokemi, assured that the community fully subscribed to the peace accord which he described as “a fundamental move”.
“We subscribed to it in its entirety and Okoloba community is committed to ensuring sustainable peace between us. We will do everything humanly possible to live together in peace and move forward”, he averred.
He commended Gov Oborevwori and the two council chairmen for the tireless efforts made towards achieving sustainable peace between the two communities
The Ogun State Government has explained the cause of the recent gas emissions that sparked panic in some schools across Ijebu-Ode, attributing the incidents to natural underground geological activity rather than spiritual causes or security threats.
The clarification was made during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area, where the Commissioners for Environment, Ola Oresanya, and Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, met with parents, school administrators and development partners to provide updates on the government’s investigation.
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According to Oresanya, scientific investigations identified methane and sulphide gases escaping through underground fractures along established fault lines as the source of the emissions.
He explained that the affected communities are located along the Ifewara-Zungeru Trans-Atlantic fault line, which stretches from Mojoda through Ijebu-Ode and extends into Osun and Niger states.
He said findings linked the fault line to the locations where the gas emissions were recorded, including the affected schools. Oresanya noted that the area was historically forested and largely uninhabited before missionary schools were established there.
The commissioner disclosed that laboratory analyses are ongoing to determine whether the gases are thermogenic or methanogenic in origin.
He also revealed that the state government is investigating the possibility that Ijebu-Ode may sit on significant natural gas deposits beneath the affected communities.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, urged residents to remain calm and adhere to safety precautions whenever gas emissions occur.
She advised residents to cover their noses with wet handkerchiefs instead of face masks and encouraged anyone requiring urgent medical attention to contact the state’s emergency health line, 08112000033.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbadu, assured parents that the affected schools would only reopen after consultations with relevant stakeholders and the completion of necessary safety assessments.
The Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Prof. Philip Ikhane, also appealed for calm, advising residents to minimise activities such as borehole drilling and quarry blasting, warning that such activities could worsen the effects of the existing fault lines.
The Ogun State Government reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property, urging residents and school authorities to promptly report any future gas emissions while investigations continue.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that no government can fully understand or effectively manage Nigeria’s economy if it fails to engage employers and the organised private sector.
Speaking on Monday at the 5th Nigerian Employers’ Summit in Abuja, the Vice President said the Federal Government is committed to maintaining open dialogue with businesses while removing bureaucratic bottlenecks that hinder economic growth.
Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on General Duties and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Aliyu Modibbo Umar, Shettima said reforms announced by the government must be experienced by businesses across the country, including Lagos, Kano, Aba and other commercial hubs.
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According to him, the summit comes at a crucial time as Nigeria faces key economic challenges requiring practical solutions and stronger collaboration between government and the private sector.
“The private sector cannot compete on sentiment. It competes on functional infrastructure, predictable policies, fair taxation and reliable energy,” he said.
Shettima commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking difficult economic decisions, saying true leadership requires the courage to implement reforms that lay the foundation for sustainable prosperity.
He explained that the removal of fuel subsidy, foreign exchange reforms and fiscal policy changes were necessary to restore macroeconomic stability, rebuild investor confidence and create an environment where businesses can thrive.
The Vice President noted that businesses are not opposed to paying taxes but are concerned about multiple taxation, regulatory bottlenecks and policies that increase the cost of doing business.
“Our agenda reduces the number of taxes, harmonises administration, protects the vulnerable, supports small businesses and encourages compliance by lowering rates while widening the tax base needed to fund infrastructure,” he stated.
He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to digitising public services and simplifying approval processes to ensure businesses experience the benefits of ongoing reforms without unnecessary delays.
In his welcome address, the Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Adewale Oyerinde, said the Employers’ Summit has consistently produced practical policy recommendations that have helped shape government policies over the past five years.
Oyerinde also announced that from 2027, the Nigerian Employers’ Summit will be expanded into the International Employers’ Summit, bringing together employers and stakeholders from across Africa and other parts of the world.
WhatsApp is set to introduce a new username feature that will allow users to connect with others without having to share their phone numbers, marking a significant step toward improving privacy on the messaging platform.
The Meta-owned app announced on Monday that the upcoming feature is designed to protect users’ personal information by enabling them to create unique usernames that can be shared instead of their mobile numbers.
According to the company, the change will prevent phone numbers from being automatically revealed in situations such as joining large group chats or messaging a person or business for the first time.
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Meta explained that the new system is built with privacy in mind, noting that there will be no public directory or username suggestions.
This means users will only be able to contact someone if they know the person’s exact username.
With more than three billion users worldwide, WhatsApp acknowledged that not everyone may be able to secure their preferred username due to the platform’s vast user base.
The company said the rollout of username reservations will begin gradually over the coming months, with users in different countries being notified when the feature becomes available to them.
In addition, creators, small businesses and organisations will have the opportunity to reserve usernames already associated with their Facebook or Instagram accounts, allowing them to maintain a consistent identity across Meta’s platforms.
The introduction of usernames is expected to enhance user privacy while making it easier for individuals and businesses to communicate without exposing personal phone numbers.
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