The planned protest by the Ekporo Community has been put off.
The Eleme General Assembly who made a u-turn, on the proposed protest said some hired hoodlums wanted to hijack the protest by creating mayhem as against the advice of the two LGAs (Ogu/Bolo and Eleme) Caretaker Chairmen warning their subjects against any protest and counter protest.
It was alleged that the fracas between the people of Ogu in Ogu/Bolo LGA and the people of Ekporo in Eleme LGA, have consequently forced the Ekporo, people to take refuge in their kins communities within the Eleme LGA, the both communities recently threatened to embark on peaceful protest to express their grievances.
Our correspondent gathered that the Eleme General Assembly had fortnight ago issued a warning to the people of Ogu through its spokesman, Comrade Jonah Chujor, saying that the Rivers State Government and other agencies have remained adamant over the sacking of the Ekporo people.
Chujor further stressed that the people of Ekporo in collaboration with their Eleme brothers would express their grievances through a peaceful protest over the sacking of the Ekporo people from their land, adding that the security agents were aware of their protest, last Monday 13th October, 2014.
Meanwhile, Chief (Hon) Ibifuro Anthony has refuted the claim made by Jonah Chujor, pointing out that the people of Ogu never sacked the Ekporo people, as the both communities have remained peaceful, adding that the name was not Ekporo but Kporo according to a court judgment.
However, on a facebook page the Ogu Youth Congress (OYC) has claimed to have had a press conference organized by the youth president of Ogu, Comrade Cassius Abbi. We gathered that the press conference was to counter the sacking of Kporo people, a claim made by John Chujor on radio and television on October 7th 2014.
The President, Abbi claimed that “Ogu people have no problem with Kporo and so cannot sack them from their settlement given to them by the people of Ogu as such using the medium to advice the people of Eleme to call the said Jonah Chujor to order and check their facts before making any comment on this matter.”
It was gathered that the people of Ogu have in like manner held a meeting on a Sunday, following the perceived protest of the Eleme people. The meeting according to a source was to counter the Eleme protest.###
Bennett James
