The leadership of Ebira Youth Congress (EYC) has called on the Kogi state government to as a matter of urgency institutionalise a rotational temple for the chairmanship position of Kogi State Traditional Council in the interest of peace and togetherness.
Speaking against the backdrop of a Fedeal High Court judgement that ceded Ajaokuta, Lokoja and Kogi/Koton-Karfe to Atta Igala, the President -General of the congress Comrade Baba Abdulrazak at a press conference held at Utenyi/Ohunene in Eganyi didtrict , Ajaokuta local government area, lamented that the Atta Igala who occupied a fatherhood position as the Chairman of the Kogi state traditional council ought not to have been chasing and championing a divisive agenda capable of shredding the state into pieces.
According to him “This agenda is antithetical to the unity efforts of governor Yahaya Bello. The Ebira Youth Congress will like to place on record the maturity so far displayed by His Royal Majesty , the Ohinoyi Ebira in this sensitive matter.
“The Royal Father has been able to calm nerves and thread the part of peace and civility and he remained calm and culculative even in the face of this unwarranted provocation”
Duelling on the Federal High Court judgement, the President -General of EYC told Igala neighbours to bear in mind that Ebiraland was never in any way conquered and can not be conquered now through judicial conquest.
“It is better for Igala people to know how the Ebiras and Ebira Kotos left Idah to their present abode. If they are sincere and honest with history, it will be clear to them that Ajaokuta was never part of their kingdom .
“This territorial claim has no place in modern day national and international boundary management and administration. This conference is in furtherance of our efforts aimed at averting ethnic conflicts being orchestrated by the claim of ownership of Ajaokuta land by the Igalas. The recent incongruous judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja which curious ceded Ajaokuta, Lokoja and Koton Karfe LGAs to the Atta Igala is one provocation too many”
In his remark, the Senior Special Assistant to the state governor in charge of security , Mr Mustapha Aka’aba pointed out that the judgement is a wake up call to Ebira ethnic nationality to come together and fight for their right.
He added that the issue at hand does not require fighting or crises , saying “even the soil in Igalaland and Ebiraland differs in nature”
The Ohi of Eganyi district, Alhaji Musa Achuja in his speech advised Ebira youth not to take law into their hands as a result of the court judgement , assuring that the state governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello is firm in ensuring that the right things are done concerning the judgement.
