Anambra Peace Commission Urges Traditional Rulers To Cooperate, Provide Truthful Accounts
The Anambra Truth Justice and Peace Commission (ATJPC) has appealed to traditional rulers i
n the State to cooperate with it to enable the state government to achieve its objective of setting it up.
Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu made the appeal on Thursday in Awka as a follow up to witness summons sent to all traditional rulers in the state.
The ATJPC was set up by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to identify the remote and immediate causes of agitations, restiveness, violence, and
armed struggle in the Southeast since 1999.
The committee also has the mandate to document victims and circumstances of their deaths, brutality, and incarceration as well as identify stakeholders and groups who played critical roles in the crisis, their roles, capabilities and demands.
They are also to make recommendations for sustainable peace and security in Anambra State/Southeast.
Odinkalu said the traditional rulers were required to submit a detailed memorandum on violence within their communities including names and other details of the victims of killing, disappearance or rape either by state or non state actors if any, from 1999 till date.
“Also, they are requested to submit the names and other details of internal displacements if any and any other information relevant to the above terms of reference.
“They are required to submit this memorandum to the Secretariat of the Commission in the Secretary to the State Government, Government House, Awka *before the end of this month* ,” he said.
Odinkalu thanked some of traditional rulers who had already responded to the call but expressed worry that they were silent on violence related deaths in their domains.
He urged them to be truthful and factually accurate as that was the only way real wounds could be healed and sustainable peace restored.
The ATJPC which has Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu as Secretary.is expected to round activities in December this year.
