ASABA: The Delta State Government has appealed for calm following renewed tension between Ibusa and Ogwashi-Uku communities over a long-standing land dispute.
The Chief of Staff, Government House, Asaba, Prince Johnson Erijo, made the appeal while addressing members of the Ibusa community who staged a peaceful protest at Government House over alleged encroachment on their land.
The protesters displayed placards urging the state government to enforce what they described as subsisting court judgments on the disputed boundary.
Speaking on behalf of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Erijo commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct and assured them that the government had already begun taking steps on the matter.
He stated that the government had received correspondence on the dispute prior to the protest and was following established procedures to address it.
Erijo assured both communities that the government would ensure law and order and arrive at a decision that would be fair and justifiable in the overall interest of peace and stability.
Speaking for the Ibusa community, Barrister Peter Lotobi traced the history of the dispute, noting that the High Court judgment was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in 1982 and later upheld by the Supreme Court in Appeal No. SC.32/1985.
He described Ibusa as a peaceful and law-abiding community and urged the state government to ensure enforcement of the court judgments in the interest of justice and sustained peace.
