Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor, on Wednesday inaugurated a six-member Judicial Panel of Inquiry into the protracted intra-communal crisis in Evwreni community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, at the ceremony in Government House, Asaba, charged the panel to establish the remote and immediate causes of the conflict in the Evwreni community, to ascertain the roles played by various individuals, groups and their sponsors in the crisis and apportion blames where necessary.
The panel is also, according to him, charged to look into and resolve other issues as a means of bringing lasting peace to the community.
The panel has Justice Michael Obi as Chairman and Theophilus Aguonye as Secretary.
Other members are Peter Isibor, Jadin Ebinum, Francis Itua (representing Ari Mohammed Ali, the Commissioner of Police) and Monday Obol, (representing the director, State Security Services).
He said, “It is indeed very disheartening that at a time government is considering various developmental programmes and projects that the administration has brought to Deltans for our overall prosperity, the Evwreni crisis has continued to linger and even degenerate to the point of wanton destruction of lives and property.
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Evwereni communal crisis”Peace is vital for development and progress of the institution and the distortion of peace in any part of the state is antithetical to the vision of this government.
“Therefore we owe it a duty to take measures to stem the apparent slide into chaos and I expect this panel which has been carefully put together to help us analyse the issues and provide recommendations that will bring an end to the lingering crisis,” he said.
He charged the panel to carry out the assignment with utmost commitment and to discharge their duties without fear or favour and conclude the assignment within six weeks.
Responding on behalf of members, Justice Obi, thanked the governor for the confidence reposed in them by entrusting them with the assignment.
We assured that the panel would swing into action immediately and discharge its duties diligently and with the utmost sense of responsibility and fairness,
He said that the panel would also carry out its mandate without any fear or favour, to bring peace to the troubled community.
