• Another section of participants during the Peace Conference
Mariam Yomi, Asaba
Sons and daughters of Ekwuoma, a Delta State town in Ika North East Local Government Area of the state, on last Sunday of 2018, in their thousands resolved to put their "past behind and move forward together in peace, love, unity and progress."
This followed the outcome of a two - day Peace Conference themed: "Moving Forward Together, Leaving Our Past Behind," at the community's Multi purpose Hall, Ekwuoma.
The conference was put together by the town's elites under the aegis of Ekwuoma Elite Group.
Earlier on Saturday, they had also committed the town and indigenes - home and abroad, into the hand of God in prayer, where Rev. Ernest Onochie, a Professor of English Communications, led half a dozen men of God, including Pastor Moses Agboramaka Okoro, to intercede for God's grace, mercy, blessings and healing power upon the land and the people.
In his brief remarks, the traditional ruler of the town, the Ajieh of Ekwuoma Kingdom, Samuel Chiedu Chukwujindu, Obiagwukpo 1, lauded the resolve of the indigenes to pursue peace and unity of Ekwuoma.
The monarch recalled that the town's indigenes have been thirsty of unity for a long time, and have even lost many valuables because of the struggle to create peace or sustain it but said it is now thing of joy that the quest for peace has become "a collective resolve."
He expressed the confidence that peace and unity would reign henceforth, and urged every body to put the ugly past behind and embrace love and unity that bring progress.
The Coordinator of Ekwuoma Elite Group, Dr. (Chief) Chris Chijioke Iyamah, in his welcome address, said the conference was quite critical, recalling that for over three decades, Ekwuoma had witnessed stagnation following intermittent crisis, bad blood, sabotage and even loss of lives.
According to Iyamah who's Chief Okiroro of Ekwuoma, the essence of the peace conference is to enable sons and daughters of the town to reason together, put the past behind and move the town forward.
He drew an analogy from the story of lot's wife in the bible, who looked back when she ought to be forward looking and turned to a huge pillar of salt instead, to impress it upon the indigenes to remain steadfast in forward looking to ensure peace and progress.
"We are not gathered here to judge cases or to apportion blames on any individual or groups but to reason together and finding a path for advancement, putting our ugly past behind us.
"Using persuasive approaches we are mobilising massively towards rebuilding our ruins and repositioning Ekwuoma once again as a leading community well ahead of her satellite neighbours.
"We held Ekwuoma love feast during the new yam festival this year as prelude to greater events that will move our people out of misery to better life," Chief Iyamah submitted.
Also, the President - General of Ekwuoma, Chief Augustine Nwokolo, harped on the importance of peace and " passionately appealed to all sons and daughters to work in harmony to censure that the town thrives in "stable peace."
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