The Bayelsa Government has appealed to indigenes of Yenagoa and Ovom communities currently locked in a dispute over ownership of land to sheath their swords and embrace peace.
Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made the appeal at separate meetings with the leaders and critical stakeholders of both communities in Yenagoa, on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the land in contention is where the new nine-storey state government secretariat is to be sited.
Ewhrudjakpo said that the feud over the land was uncalled because government had acquired it for development purposes several decades ago.
“Every land acquired by government with compensation paid becomes its property. All the communities lying within 15-kilometre radius from Yenagoa make up the Bayelsa State capital,” he said.
While acknowledging the sacrifices made by the host communities of the state capital, the deputy governor assured that government would continue to protect their interests by performing its corporate social responsibility.
He, however, warned that the Governor Douye Diri administration would not fold its arms and watch any community or group of people disrupt the prevailing peace in the state for whatever reason.
Ewhrudjakpo cautioned the youths of Ovom against alleged unwholesome practice of going to ministries, departments and agencies to demand a change in the letterheads and signboards of MDAs to reflect Ovom.
“There is no long-term benefit in conflict. People can disagree, but they can reconcile their differences through the roundtable.
“Yenagoa and Ovom communities have a long history of peaceful coexistence as two sister communities in the Atissa Kingdom in the Yenagoa Local Government Area.
“As communities in the epicentre of the state capital, Ovom and Yenagoa have made huge sacrifices, and they cannot afford to fight themselves over land already acquired by government.
“Our position is that none of the communities own the land of the project site for the new state Secretariat.
“The ownership of that land now belongs to the Bayelsa State Government by virtue of the Capital City Development Law,” he said.
According to him, the name of Yenagoa has influence over all other communities lying within the 15-km radius of the state capital, and as such Yenagoa is reflected in all addresses.
In her remarks, the member representing Yenagoa Constituency 1 in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Ayibanengiyefa Egba, expressed gratitude to the state government for its swift intervention.
Egba advised the communities to embrace peace as brothers to foster development and progress.
