ABAVO KINGDOM OIL SAGA: PEACE HAS FINALLY RETURNED – Ikaweekly

Peace has finally returned to Abavo kingdom, an oil community in Ika South local government area of Delta State, as the warring factions and stakeholders have come to a roundtable where issues that have been at the front burner in the kingdom were resolved amicably. The peace meeting which took place on Monday, 5th August, 2013 at the Abavo Royal Palace was attended by both the warring parties and prominent Abavo sons. The meeting was summoned at the instance of the traditional ruler of Abavo kingdom, His Royal Majesty Uche Irenuma II.The royal father, while addressing his subjects during the meeting said that the oil saga that have for sometime disturbed the peaceful co-existence of the Abavo people is not peculiar to Abavo alone as it is normally the case in and community where oil is discovered, stressing that what is most important is the ability and wisdom to settle things.While stating that oil exploration activities started in Abavo in 1974, king Uche Irenuma advised his subjects not to allow oil to disrupt the peace that the community has enjoyed over the years, pointing out that Abavo is a peaceful community and will continue to remain peaceful. He said some oil companies can even cause confusion in their host communities and if any of the affected host communities is not united, they will not be able to speak with one voice to ask for their entitlements.The Abavo monarch thanked the warring parties for recognizing that they are brothers and saw the need to come together to settle their differences. However, Chief Dr. Philip Agbeyeke (JP), the Okiroro of Abavo kingdom who was among prominent Abavo indigenes that attended the meeting pledged the loyalty of Okpe community to the Abavo throne, saying that their loyalty is not in doubt. He called on his Abavo brothers and sisters to sheath their swords and start living as one.Also, Rev. Ifeanyi Agbeyeke stated that when the news of the discovery of oil in large quantity at Abavo came, it was received by Abavo people with  gratitude to God. He noted that what God brought to bless Abavo kingdom is now  causing crisis in the land which according to him is not supposed to be, adding that in any oil producing community, entitlements are always paid to all parties involved and Abavo case will not be different.On his part, Pa Thomas Owala, the oldest man in Okpe community expressed gratitude to God that peace has finally returned to Abavo kingdom, just as he advised youths of Abavo community to calm down and help work towards the overall well-being of Abavo kingdom.Innocent Okonta Obaseki, popularly known as youth mayor, and Mr. Ojugo Okafor, chairman, Okpe community who spoke to newsmen in separate interviews expressed joy that the oil saga in the community has been finally resolved.The chairman, Abavo kingdom oil and gas monitoring committee, High Chief (Minister) Isioma Okonta expressed joy that peace has finally returned to Abavo kingdom as a whole and Okpe community in Abavo in particular.He thanked His Royal Majesty, Uche Irenuma II and the security agencies in Delta State for midwifing the peace process. He said that all enemies of Abavo kingdom have now been put to shame as the Almighty God has been glorified.High Chief Okonta promised to carry the newly constituted Okpe/Abavo community CRC along for the benefit of the community. ï¿½I thank God for using our amiable traditional ruler, king Uche Irenuma II to bring about peace. Now that all issues have been resolved, this supernatural blessing of God by way of multiple oil wells in numerous communities in Abavo will finally result in substantial benefit to the kingdom and the impacted communities, because the oil exploration activities of  Pan Ocean oil corporation will now commence hitch free� high chief Okonta stated.