TWON – PARMOUNT ruler of Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, HRM King Alfred Diete-Spiff, has led his subjects to resolve the political commotion between rival youth groups in the troubled oil- rich community.
The residents who have now resolved to make the town an oasis of peace, proclaimed every last Sunday of November as annual Thanksgiving Day.
The coastal settlement, which is host to the famous Whiteman’s Grave, has been embroiled in political crisis caused by youths belonging to one of the political parties with the attendant loss of lives and destruction of property worth millions of naira.
Rival groups meet
But the natives, who are predominantly anglers, led by their paramount ruler, the first military administrator of old Rivers State, HRM King Alfred Diete-Spiff and his wife, HRM Queen Josephine Diete-Spiff, recently covenanted and dedicated the kingdom to God for peace and calmness to return to the land.
The wife of the monarch, HRM Josephine Diete-Spiff, known for her activism on issues bordering on the wellbeing and development of the family and the girl-child, said the vision to covenant and rededicate the kingdom back to God was to restore lasting peace to the kingdom.
“It was indeed an amazing ceremony and God did accept our prayers as calm has since returned to our kingdom. To God be all the glory and praise as we give Him thanks for His great mercies to us as a people, a race and a kingdom.
“A few days after the event, the rival party had meeting with the opposition party members and spoke about building peace in the kingdom,†she said.
Peace walk
NDV recalls that a group formed by some concerned Twon-Brass youths called the Twon-Brass Peace and Development Initiative, last week, organised a peace parley between the two opposing groups, whose activities had occasioned loss of lives, destruction of houses and property in the past.
The meeting, it was also learned, had in attendance 20 persons (10 each) from the rival youth groups, members of the Twon Brass community, Ministers’ Forum, a former chairman of Brass Local Government Area, top security officials, chiefs, elders, women and youths of the community.
According to the Coordinator, Twon Brass Ministers’ Forum, Pastor Ken Anjola, the peace and development initiative members presented white colored T-Shirts and a copy of the Bible to them, while the Twon Brass Ministers’ Forum led them to the exchange of vows to shun violence and pray for each other.
He said: “At the end, everyone went out for a peace walk for more than three hours showing the town that peace has come to stay in Twon Brass Kingdom.â€
