Chairman of Abi Local Government Area, Cross River Central, Faratoh Robinson, yesterday, June 27, 2020, secured his date with history as his efforts, alongside the efforts of several well-meaning indigenes, finally brought peace to the Bahumono communities in his LGA who have been engaged in a long running fratricidal conflict that has taken a heavy toll on lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira.
In Ediba, venue of the well-attended event that brought all the warring communities together, HRM Edward Osim, Paramount Ruler of Abi LGA, whose residence was completely torched in 2018, expressed happiness at this positive turn of events after hostilities that recently began in 2014. Six years after, he prayed that the days of evil in Bahumono, will never return again.
Davies Etta, who represents Abi State Constituency in the Cross River State House of Assembly and Francis Etta, Commissioner for Special Duties, who both spoke at the end, towed the line of the paramount ruler and further urged youths in the area to defend this peace that has returned to the area.
In an exclusive interaction with www.calitown.com, Council Chairman, Faratoh Robinson maintained that: “every right thinking person will be saddened by this conflict, like I have been. I prayed to God, a long time ago that if He makes me Chairman of Abi LGA, I will work at ensuring that peace returns to Bahumono. The people fighting are all brothers and sisters and in recent times it has become so difficult for an Usumutong and Ediba man to interact. The Ebom man cannot sit where an Usumutong man sits and this has been giving me sleepless nights. We are here fighting over nothing while other communities are making progress; we just had to stop this nonsense. Thank God what has happened today is a new lease of life and all of us, just like we all worked at getting this peace process right, must work at sustaining the gains of this process and because our effort has been blessed by God, nothing will take us back.”
We observed that several families and friends, long separated by this conflict, were seen hugging and exuding happiness at this reunion.
This is the best thing that has happened in ABI. So gland and proud of Faratoh.
I am more than excited but let all the communities in Abi surrender their war weapons such as guns, knifes, charms etc. And burnt them off by the authority.
I thank God for the peace reign.