GOVERNOR Martin Elechi of Ebonyi State has lamented the adverse effect of incessant conflicts on his administration's efforts to develop the state and pleaded with all the warring communities in the 13 councils to give peace a chance.Elechi, who spoke recently in Abakaliki, disclosed that nearly 150 land-related clashes had been handled by his administration since inception.While insisting that peace was paramount for development, he assured that his administration would continue to take proactive measures to enhance the well-being of every citizen, even as he urged the people to continue to show respect and tolerance for one another by accommodating people of diverse backgrounds.He words: 'The Department of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution of the Governor's Office has intervened, up to July this year, in a total of 110 communal clashes and disputes, most of which were land-related. I continue to appeal to all and sundry to make peace our watchword.'Let us in this celebration, continue to show respect and tolerance for one another and accommodate people of diverse backgrounds, be they people of different religious persuasions, other communities away from ours and for whatever differences. Our greatest possession is not the community we come from, the religion we practice or our state of origin. Our greatest possession is the Nigerian nation'.Extolling the benefits of the nation's independence, Elechi told the crowd at Abakaliki Township Stadium, venue of the celebration, that his administration had between October 2007 and 2011 granted pardon to 92 prisoners on death row, and reduced to life imprisonment sentences passed on 18 others.'Prison reports indicate that the released persons have continued to be of good behaviour since their release, thereby justifying the steps taken by government to pardon prison inmates in Ebonyi State. Today, in continuation of such gesture, following due recommendations by the State Council on the Prerogative of Mercy, I have decided to pardon nine prisoners unconditionally from Abakaliki Prison and reduce to 10 years imprisonment, seven other prisoners hitherto on life sentence in Enugu Prison. The Ministry of Justice and the prisons authorities have been given necessary directives to effect this decision,' he said.Elechi said Ebonyi State has moved from being the guinea-worm headquarters of the country, to a state where school children now win interschool debate contests, adding that the state has a total of 30 pilot boarding schools including three technical schools for boys and girls.He praised President Goodluck Jonathan for granting the state government import duty waivers on all the Ductile Iron Pipes and accessories ordered for the Oferekpe Water Scheme, pointing out that 'by that stroke of pen, Mr. President has saved more than N1.2 billion naira for Ebonyi State in the cost of water reticulation from Oferekpe to Abakaliki.
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