Repentant cultists in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have taken part in a traditional oath taking ceremony to maintain the existing peace in the area.
The different rival cult groups in the area, who were granted amnesty by the Andoni Traditional Rulers Council in support of the local government council took turns to swear to the deity of Andoni land – York-Obolo, promising never to indulge in any form of hostility and criminality or any act capable of undermining and truncating the prevailing peace in Andoni.
The move comes barely two months after the misguided youths underwent a 3-day reorientation programme to change their mindset from violent behaviour and criminal intentions with a view to reintegrating them to the society and making them useful to themselves.
Speaking to newsmen at the end of the traditional oath of peace ceremony in Agwut-Obolo, the Traditional Seat of Andoni, the Andoni Council Chairman, Barrister Erastus Charles Awortu, said the ceremony was the climax of sustained efforts by the traditional rulers and his administration to address the root causes of insecurity in Andoni and restore an enduring peace in the area.
He noted that the traditional oath of peace was to formalise the commitment to peace by the repentant cultists, while expressing optimism that Andoni would not be known for violence anymore.
“I am highly delighted that in spite of the odds and huddles that we faced, we have been able to get to this climax where we can now hope that we have respite. Since we made oral commitment to peace, we have seen that the place have calm down, this is just a way of formalizing it according to their belief and we believe we will have an enduring peace. Andoni will not be known for violence anymore. It is a thing of joy, honestly speaking”.
Awortu also said his administration was reaching out to companies operating within the Andoni territory to engage some of the repentant youths as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and contribution towards the sustenance of the existing peace in Andoni.
He hinted that some of the repentant cultists would benefit from the Forest Reserves Initiative of his administration which aims at preserving wildlife in Andoni forest, and harnessing it’s full potentials for the socio-economic development of Andoni.
Awortu also promised that his administration would explore other ways to engage more of the repentant cultists as well as other youths in meaningful ventures within the available limited resources of the council.
“If you see the number of people involved in this circle of violence, you know the number is huge, we will try to engage companies operating within the Andoni territory to see whether they will engage a few of them. On our part we will see how we can create sanitation jobs and engage them so that they can channel their energy to something more positive.
“As you are aware very soon we are going to pass the bye-law restricting hunting and felling of trees in Andoni, and as a consequent of that we need Forest Guards, so, we are going to engage some of them in that regard. We are also going to explore other areas within our limited resources to engage the former deviant youths as well as other youths to make meaningful to themselves and to the society”.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Andoni Traditional Rulers Council and Okaan-Ama Ngo, King Okruket Nnabiget, who led other traditional rulers to witness the oath taking by the repentant cultists, expressed joy at the return of peace to Andoni.
“Today, we are here in Agwut-Obolo the traditional seat of Andoni people to see the final end of the oath taking of our sons who engaged themselves in cultism, the group leaders are here, they have already taken the oath, we are here as committee handling the peace initiative to administer and supervise the oath taking process and this is the final stage. Personally, I am very happy because finally peace has returned to Andoni now, to God be the glory”.
The monarch also assured the repentant cultists that they will not be left idle as he promised that the Andoni Traditional Rulers Council would work assiduously with LG chairman to secure training and employment opportunities for them in companies operating within the Andoni territory as well as other areas of job opportunities.
“When I resumed office as chairman of the Andoni Traditional Rulers Council by June this year, and I promised that as far as I am concerned, the repentant cultists will not be left idle, if they embrace peace. I promised to engage companies operating within the Andoni territory to secure training and employment opportunities for them to earn legitimate income to maintain themselves so that they will not return to cultism anymore. I and members of the traditional rulers’ council as well as the local government chairman have promised to get them something doing so that they will not return to crime”, he added.

By: Enoch Epelle