By Chuks Ugwoke
Boundary matters, whether between communities, states and nations, are always emotional and complicated. As such, disputes arising from ownership of such boundaries are usually sensitive and very complex to resolve.
Oftentimes, claimants go to war over a small piece of land. In the context of such territorial struggle, the parties in conflict point to such outdated beliefs of ancestry and heritage in order to sustain their arguments and prejudices. Usually, the carnage at the flashpoints regrettably far outweighs the value of the disputed land.
Yet, the futility of violence and bloodshed as viable option to resolve the impasse is often compromised by the delusion of the warlords that the other side would be crushed or their flawed feeling that it amounts to weakness to make concessions for peace. Then you also have the other enemies of peace who keep inciting violence to derail any efforts at negotiation and reconciliation, just to keep alive their bounties from the conflict.
Without doubt, this had been the case of the dispute between Oruku and Umuode communities in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. For decades, the two rural communities were rattled by deadly attacks against each other, which left a multitude of lives wasted, hundreds of families displaced and numerous homes razed.
For no less than 20 years, victims from both sides endured the most savage brutalities and carried out painful funerals during which many of the bereaved families could not do as much as perform the dust-to-dust rituals at the gravesides of their loved ones for fear of fresh or reprisal attacks. Painfully, as natives of Oruku-Umuode turned against one another, people who knew each other’s children, who once lived next door to one another, who once exchanged favours, and who once lived in peace and trusted themselves had become sworn enemies over a stretch of land!
To be fair, previous state governments made efforts to resolve the differences and ultimately achieve a negotiated settlement. But they failed to get the warring communities to embrace the peace overtures in the face of tortured twists and turns. The poisonous relationship continued to steadily deteriorate. And there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel.
And like in all such communal conflicts with complex histories, nothing approximates in difficulty to striking the right balance that addresses the needs and fears of the two sides. As such, any peacemaker must approach it with the clarity and sure-footedness which must remove every suspicion of bias.
And this was precisely what the governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Gburugburu) did when he embarked on a mission to achieve just and lasting peace between the two communities of Oruku and Umuode. It was the triumph of persuasion over rhetoric when he outlined the processes that earned the trust and commitment of the embattled villagers.
Quietly but tactically, he visited the two villages on a number of occasions on fact-finding missions that brought him face-to-face with the communities and their stakeholders. Governor Ugwuanyi changed the tone of the discussion and laid bare his cards so that the people saw the viability of his intervention to enthrone the much-needed peace and unity. Unmindful of other schedules and demands on his time, the governor personally presided over several meetings (some lasting till the wee hours) whose positive outcomes benefitted from his aura and sincerity of purpose.
The small team that he set up to coordinate the interactions with the people was also not contaminated by any suspicion of loyalty and showed innovative thinking that went beyond the narrow enclaves of partisanship to recognize that there must be give and take if genuine peace must be achieved.
Thus, it was all celebrations across the entire Enugu State and beyond when on June 14, 2019, the negotiators, stakeholders and other leaders from the two communities of Oruku and Umuode converged on Government House to sign the much-awaited but elusive peace agreement that turns a new page in their existence.
Today, courtesy of Governor Ugwuanyi’s magic wand, an unimaginable milestone has been achieved in achieving reconciliation and securing durable peace where war previously prevailed. It was all cheers and exchanges of banters on that fateful Friday when Gburugburu brought former foes to the roundtable as they shook hands and signed that all-important line to live in peace with each other.
That singular feat lifted hearts in despair and offered comfort to the bereaved. It honoured the memories of the dead and changed the narrative in their co-existence. Still, the governor who brought such refreshing end to the bloodletting was unwilling to dwell on such uncommon accomplishment when the journalists approached him for comments. What is not in doubt, however, is that this feat will stand as one other monumental legacy of his Lion Building reign.
His passion for peace is limitless and as he reflects on the lessons learnt and the promises ahead, there can be no denying the prosperity and unity that the settlement of the inter-communal crisis entails.
•Ugwoke writes from Enugu