The Transition Committee Chairman, Isuikwuato local government area, Dr Osita Igbe, has assured the people of Ulonna North Farm Settlement, Umuobiala, that his administration will do all within his capacity to ensure that the activities of Fulani Herdsmen ravaging their farms will be brought under perfect control.
Reacting to the protest letter brought to his office at Mbalano, by the Ulonna Farm Settlers during a peaceful protest march, Dr Osita Igbe who expressed displeasure over the incessant and unwarranted destruction of farmlands, crops, and source of the drinking water of the people of Ulonna North, however commended the farm settlers for not being confrontational with the Herders but rather chose a peaceful process to resolve the security challenges, assuring them that adequate measures will be put in place by his government to remedy the ugly situation.
In a statement made available by the Area Information Officer, Nkem Jasper Onykere, the Council Boss Dr. Igbe promised to urgently embark on a fact finding visit to the Ulonna North farm settlement to ascertain the level of damage to their farms and possible mitigating measures to be put in place to forestall further occurrence, adding that he has summoned an emergency security meeting today with members of Isuikwuato Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee, the Traditional Rulers, Town Union Executives, and all the security agencies in the council towards ensuring lasting measures to the reoccurring menacing security challenges and the negative activities of the Cattle Herdsmen in different parts of the council is brought under checks, while he used the opportunity to admonish all communities in the council experiencing various unwholesome activities of Fulani Herdsmen to always apply caution and bring such security challenges bedevilling them to his office through their Traditional Rulers and Town Union leaders, and assured of his prompt actions to such breach of peace.
Speaking earlier, the President, Ulonna North Farm Settlement Cooperative Society Limited and the leader of the delegation, Mr Ndu Stanley, said they came to intimate the local government area Chairman of the invasion of their farmlands by the dreaded Fulani Herdsmen, requesting his urgent intervention to save them from imminent starvation.
Mr Ndu Stanley regretted that since late last year, the Herders with their over four hundred and fifty cows invaded their rice plots, ate up their ripped rice paddies, and from the swamp, entered into the adjoining yam and cassava farms, where they destroyed, uprooted, and ate up almost an acre of yam and cassava farms without hindrance as well as burn their bushes, noting that the destruction is on weekly basis and have made the rice farmers to abandoned their farming activities, hence their call for government intervention to remedy the ugly situation.
He emphasized that this invasion is from three entry points of Umuobiala, Nkpa and Umuda communities, asserting that their women and children don’t go out again for fear of being raped and attacked by the herdsmen who have dominated their territory, while he appreciated the council chairman for promising prompt action.
The Secretary to the local government, Lady Christy Ezidinma, the Chief Security Officer to the Chairman, Mr Onyekachi Madukairo, were among dignitaries that received the Ulonna Farm Settlers.
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