According to a group in Delta State, the government’s indifference and insensitivity caused the conflict between the Okuama and Okolo communities in Delta State and resulted in the recent deaths of sixteen soldiers who were purportedly on a peacekeeping assignment.
In a statement, the No Justice, No Peace Initiative group’s national coordinator, Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen, charged governor sheriff Oborevwori with taking decisive action to end the issue, which has also resulted in the soldiers’ retaliatory attack destroying the Okuama Community.
The group denounced the horrific killings of troops in the Delta, saying that “the Nigerian Army’s leadership and presidency shouldn’t use that as an excuse to descend and wreak havoc on the people of Okuama.”
“They ought to discuss the reasons behind their blindness to the lingering problems between the Okuoma and Okoloba Communities with the Delta State Government.”
According to the group, there has been a long-standing land dispute between the neighboring towns, and instead of working to bridge the gap, the government has let the problem worsen.
The group claimed, “That’s where channels are established to allot substantial sums for security, which are then distributed among government officials and local leaders.”
“The current government ignores and permits these disputes to continue for a while before coming out with a white paper plan that is rarely put into practice and allots funds to make up for losses or damages to property and lives suffered by victims and communities.
“It would have been simple for the government to step in and offer long-term remedies. These incidents have always opened doors for the misuse of public monies, where enormous sums are diverted for private benefit.
“It is regrettable that the Nigerian Army soldiers lost their lives while performing peacekeeping duties.”
