Makarfi Condemns Igbeagu-Ukelle Communal Clashes

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Former Governor of Kaduna State and one of the presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has condemned the communal clashes between Igbeagu and Ukelle communities of Ebonyi and Cross River States respectively.

Makarfi, in a statement issued yesterday in Kaduna, said disagreements and grievances are better resolved through dialogue and continuous constructive engagement.
The statement signed by his spokesman, Mukhtar Sirajo, called on the parties involved to always explore dialogue in resolving their differences.

According to him, “Just a day after he spoke out against the needless bloodletting in Plateau State, his attention has been drawn to the communal clash that occurred between the Igbeagu and Ukelle communities of Ebonyi and Cross River States respectively.

“This needless descent to lawlessness should grieve all right thinking people, especially coming from communities that have lived peacefully with one another from time immemorial.” He said the relationships built over time between the two communities should have been used as a vehicle for coming together to resolve whatever problem they have than to allow it snowball into needless loss of lives and property.

Makarfi appealed to the people of the two communities and “all Nigerians to always resist the temptation of picking up arms against one another at the slightest provocation and imbibe our well known civilized culture of sitting down to discuss issues and peacefully resolve problems in mature manner.”

He noted that there is no problem between any two or more people or communities that dialogue cannot resolve, since even reconciliation terms after whatever kind of battle are normally agreed at around a table talk.
He called on the relevant authorities to not only up the ante but also restructure the security architecture of the country to make it more proactive in terms of intelligence gathering and other operational necessities such that situations capable of threatening peace and security are easily nipped in the bud.

Makarfi expressed condolences with the people of the communities and the governments and people of Cross River and Ebonyi States over the unfortunate incident, even as he enjoins the two communities to sheathe the sword and employ dialogue to resolve their differences and disagreements.

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