By Jonathan Ugbal
The people of Adadama in Abi local government area of central Cross River State Saturday, in Calabar identified unity as the way forward for the community plagued in the past 6 years with a communal conflict with neighbouring Amagu community in Ebonyi state.
The Lezelkpakor VI of Adadama, Eval Nelson Agbomi in his keynote address at the Adadama Annual Conference warned that no inch of Adadama’s land will be ceded to Amagu community in Ikwor local government area of Ebonyi state. He called for a register to contain all Adadama people working both at home and abroad and urged his people to remain vigilant, united and be interested in the affairs of the community.
Eval Nelson called on the Cross River State government to “prevail on the federal government of Nigeria to order the National boundary Commission to retrace the 1920 boundary line of G.G. Shute and replacement of pillars destroyed.”
In a presentation, Dr. Marcellina Edu called for all Adadama people to be patriotic as it was the only way the development of the community could be assured and fast tracked following the destruction of property and the loss of lives to the conflict that has rage don for years.
In a similar vein, Elder George Ekon in his presentation pointed out that there was need for all to brainstorm on a plan for the community. He said that there was need for “Committed Community Development Stakeholders” as they will “Motivate, inspire and help direct” the community energy towards life transforming goals.
He posited that Development required deliberate decisions and actions taken by both individuals and the community noting that; “Left to natural flow of events without intervention from community stakeholders, the journey of a thousand miles may actually take a thousand years”. A situation, he said creates “despair, hopelessness and helplessness” as it perpetuates “poverty, squalor and extreme deprivations.”
On rebuilding, Ekon said that; “We are often told that Rome was not built in a day. We need to know, however, that each generation added its own quota to making Rome great” and pointed at the electrification project and the community secondary school as two examples of the impact of committed stakeholders in Adadama.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Central Planning Committee, Elder Edmund Eddu said the choice of “Unity, Strength To Community Development” as theme for the Adadama Annual Conference was borne out of the need for all to bind together.
“Irrespective of your inclination as a person, community or group (with special interest) we have the onus to preach and emphasize those things that will bind us strongly together more than those things that will tear us apart” Edmund said.
Notable among those present were the Speaker of the Cross River House of Assembly, Honorable John Gaul Lebo, the Director General, Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu and Engineer Elemi Etowa amongst others.