Traders preparing to move cassava from Ebom, one of the communities
in Bahumonu, across the river to Ebonyi
In the 1980s after observing some unending skirmishes that bedeviled the state, Prof. Emmanuel Ayandele, then Vice-Chancellor of University of Calabar declared `Cross River an atomistic society perpetually at war with itself“.
Although, at that time Ayandele’s declaration did not go down well with some of the indigenes of the state but it was borne out of an intense observation from the academic.
While many believed that the squabbles were as a result of the discord between the people of present day Akwa Ibom and the present Cross River but time has shown otherwise.
Forty years after his declaration, situations in the state have made Ayandele a somewhat prophet with communal crisis that had spanned for decades and still on in spite of efforts to broker peace.
Some of these conflicts include the Nko- Inyima crisis; Nko-Mkpani Crisis; Ugep- Ekori crisis; Agoi Ibami-Mkpani crisis; Nko-Agoi Ekpo crisis, Ugep-Idomi Crisis that was said to have been on since 1928 and many others in Yakurr LGA.
In Obubura LGA alone, there is the Ofatura-Ovunum crisis; Iyamitet-Ababane crisis; Iyamitet-Adun crisis; Ofatura-Apiapun crisis among others.
There is also the crisis among Urugbam, Egbor, Ipene, and Abanwan communities in Baise LGA while in Abi LGA, the crises between Ediba and Usumutong and Ebom and Ebijakara were on for over 15 years.
Fourteen out of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Cross River had either engaged or are currently involved in one crisis or another.
In some cases it is not just within the state but also with communities in neighboring states like Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and Benue in the northern part of the state.
The only LGAs that seem not entangled in the web of one communal crisis or the other are Calabar Municipality, Calabar South, Akpabuyo and Bakassi LGAs all in the Southern Senatorial District of the state, except for issues of cultism militancy.
Among these `wars`, some of the most intriguing were those between Ediba and Usumutong and Ebom versus Ebijakara communities in the Bahumonu nation of Abi LGA, that lasted for over 15 years.
The Bahumonu nation is a collection of nine autonomous communities with the same ancestry, namely: Ediba, Usumutong, Ebom, Ebijakara, Anong, Afafayin, Abeugo, Egonigoni and Bazohure.
With a large expanse of arable land, the Bahumonu nation boasts of agricultural produce such as rice, cassava, yams, groundnut and others in commercial quantity, which makes it an agricultural hub.
However, in spite of its agricultural and fishing potential, a large part of the Bahumonu nation is without electricity, access roads, telephone network and other amenities. This is largely due to the Ediba-Usumutong and Ebom-Ebijakara wars.
The crisis in these communities became a full blown war around 2005 after years of bottled-up disaffection aggravated by distrust and mutual suspicions over ownership of lands.
The carnage continued unabated for 15 years with the people of Ebijakara dislodged from their land by the people of Ebom who subsequently started taking over Ebijakara’s land.
This is even as themselves lived in fear of counter attacks the Ebijakaras who famous for their guerilla warfare.
It was not until in 2020 when the youths who had been fighting, maiming and killing one another decided to abandon embrace peace.
Traditional worshipers in Bahumonu consolidating the oath of peace they took in 2020
by eating meat together from one pot during the Peace Day Celebration in their ancestral land of Othumosa
This miraculous decision was greeted with joy as the youths from the nine communities after 15 years of carnage against their brothers said enough is enough.
They went round the communities hugging one another and saying nobody would persuade them to kill each other again.
That day, June 20, was officially declared a day of peace by the Bahumonu nation and has been celebrated annually since 2020.
Taking a cue from this Sen. Ben Ayade, then governor of Cross River set up a reconciliation committee headed by Sen. Ndoma Egba, to consolidate peace and reposition Bahumonu for growth and development.
Although there was renewed hope from the people, however, much still needs to be done to cement the prevailing peace.
The paramount ruler of Abi and leader of Osumutong, Ovai Edward, told NAN that they have not achieved their ultimate goal.
“What we have today as peace was the effort of our youths, without them we would not have achieved anything.
“But, today the youths are becoming frustrated because they have sustained peace in the past three years as elders community still don’t agree.
“As far as the peace process is concerned, we have not achieved much because Ebijakara people are still displaced and the boundary issue between Ediba and Usumutong has not been resolved.
“The last administration set up a mediation committee that made recommendations and if these recommendations are implemented, it will go a long way in reducing the palpable tension among the communities,” he said.
“The government came to look into the matter and make peace through the Ndoma Egba led committee but they refused to tell us the truth about the land; it is a new government now, if they are ready to come and give us peace we will comply but I will not fight,” he noted.
While the subtle bickering went on, NAN went into the communities and spoke to some residents who said all they wanted was infrastructural development.
Residents of the area said the peace would be incomplete without infrastructure which was not in place because of wars.
In Ebom, Mr Monday James, said their roads are bad, they have no electricity, adding these challenges have made it difficult for farmers to sell their agricultural produce.
He is, however, grateful to God that the fighting had ended thereby making it possible for the people to return to farming.
Mrs Mary Okoro said the bad road into Bahumonu has affected her business badly as her farm produce were hardly sold out.
“As a woman, I am pained because our schools have no teachers while the Primary Healthcare Centers here lack basic amenities like water.
“Electricity and manpower are totally out of the question because nobody wants to come here; we are in desperate need of government attention.
“However, I am happy that we are no longer fighting because the women and children suffered most in those days of war,” she said.
Mr Clement Omina, President, Bahumonu Sociocultural Group, said they were able to form Bahumonu indigenes committee to maintain peace in the area.
Omina however added that, as good as that decision is, there are still critical issues such as resettling Ebijakara and finding an acceptable boundary between Ediba and Usumutong communities.
“We are not happy with where we are today because after three years that we decided to stop fighting, Ebijakara people are not back in their homeland and there are still skirmishes between Ediba and Usumutong.
“We have tried as a people to find our own solution because we know that homegrown peace will be more sustainable than whatever is forced on the people from outside.
“But the problem is that as a people from a common ancestry, any decision we take, it is difficult for the other party to accept it if it does not favour it.
“This is why we need an external arbiter which is the government,” he said.
Corroborating the view of Bahumonu Sociocultural Group, Dr Earnest Eteng, Chairman of Bahumonu Peace and Development Union said the youths adopted homegrown approach to search for peace because outsiders they considered it the best option.
“At this point, we need encouragement from the government; we need the implementation of the recommendations of Ndoma-Egba committee which also highlights meeting infrastructure needs of Bahumonu nation.
Back in Calabar Mr Davies Etta, Member Representing Abi State Constituency in the Cross River House of Assembly said the committee set up by the former governor did a good job.
He expressed hope that incumbent Mr Bassey Otu would implement the recommendations of the committee for sustainable peace in the region.
“The ring road project that connects the entire nine communities is a project which when executed will impact all the communities in the Bahumonu nation.
“We are also looking at implementing programs that will ensure the youths are awarded scholarships while those with businesses are supported with funds.
“If these are done, we will keep the youths busy while providing a conducive environment for government to come and work in the area,” he said.
He advised the warring communities that justice may not give them peace adding that peace comes from negotiation and sacrifice.
How do you get a feature story without acknowledging the writer of the story and you go further to add your name in a story about communities that you don’t know. Even it is from NAN are you not suppose to acknowledge the source at least.