Former Coordinator of Effium Development Centre and one-time Special Assistant to two successive Ebonyi State Governors, Barr. Nnabuife Abara, has given a gripping account of the five-year crisis that ravaged Effium community in Ohaukwu LGA, stating that the conflict set the area back by “50 years or even more.”
Speaking during an exclusive session with journalists, Abara who also served as Special Assistant on Finance, Higher Education, and Special Projects described the current atmosphere in Effium as “calm, peaceful, and gradually recovering.”
He credited the community’s remarkable turnaround to the “determination and near-magical commitment” of the present Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru.
According to him, the governor succeeded in restoring stability to a conflict many believed was beyond resolution.
“How he did it, I don’t know. It was as if he said, ‘Let there be peace,’ and peace came,” the legal practitioner said.
Abara lamented that the crisis destroyed lives, properties, livelihoods, and the once-vibrant socio-economic structure of Effium community following the violent clash between the Effium and Ezza-Effium people.
He noted that the community—formerly a major economic hub and the food basket of the Southeast was completely crippled by the conflict.
“We lost everything, including lives, property, and the beauty of the place. You cannot quantify the destruction,” he said, adding that the devastation created ripple effects across the region, including sharp increases in the price of staple foods like garri.
He disclosed that the government is currently demarcating community boundaries and preparing for the resettlement of displaced persons, including himself.
“Everybody is displaced. I have no place to go,” he stated, expressing hope that the governor will facilitate the people’s safe and timely return once the technical groundwork is completed.
Abara stressed that although government and stakeholders played critical roles in ending the violence, the responsibility now lies with the people to sustain the peace.
“We are meeting, interacting, and ensuring this never happens again. Peace is priceless,” he said.
The former PDP chieftain also revealed that he defected to the APC as a gesture of appreciation to Governor Nwifuru for restoring peace.
“The best way to show gratitude was to identify with him. Peace is the greatest achievement any government can offer,” he said, adding that all other forms of development are secondary to peace.
Abara openly declared support for the governor’s second-term bid, arguing that Ebonyi State stands to benefit from continuity.
“If he achieved all this within two to three years, imagine what he can do in the next five or six. Everybody is supporting him—including myself, my family, and allies,” he stated.
He urged all stakeholders to embrace fairness, justice, and unity, stressing that sustainable development is impossible without peace.
“You don’t build something on nothing. Peace is the foundation for every aspiration,” he concluded.
