Group Wants Improved Security In Rural Communities

A Port Harcourt-based advocacy group, Advocacy For Peace, Good Governance and Social Justice has called on the Rivers State Government to redouble its effort in securing the rural communities.
The National President of the group, Mr. John Clement, who stated this while chatting with newsmen in Port Harcourt praised the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike for the situations in urban communities of the state but deplored the frightening security challenges in the hinterlands.
Clement warned that unless the security challenges in the coastal communities were tackled, there might be a need to set up refuge camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state.
The Port Harcourt-based lawyer expressed regrets that northern and central Ikwerre communities were victims of cult rivalries.
He stated that penultimate Thursday, Egbeda in Emohua Local Governemnt Area of the State was sacked when Icelanders and Deygbam cult groups clashed.
According to him, “Egbeda has been in the news over renewed hostilities between Deygbam and Icelanders. Recently, it was reported that the oldest man in the community was burnt to death when his home was set ablaze, when a cult group undertook a reprisal attack against his grandson. . Clement also stated that thousands of Egbeda people had fled the town to neighbouring communities to seek refuge.
He lamented that the flight to neigbouring communities for refuge had caused social problems in Elele and other neigbouring communities.
He said the agrarian community had been dislodged from their means of livelihood, and was facing unbearable hardship as a result.
Clement noted that Ibaa and Obelle communities had also faced similar fate.
He said unless urgent action was taken to halt the cult crisis, there was a likelihood that more and more communities would be contaminated by the viral cultism.
He urged the state government to support his organisation with logistics its their campaign for peace in the State.
Mr. Clement said his organisation had done a lot to preach peace both in rural and urban communities of the State.
He commended Governor Wike for the people-oriented projects undertaken by his administration and urged him to do more in the area of human resource development.

Chidi Enyie