BENIN CITY – The indigenes of Amagba Community in Oredo Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State have commended the revocation of the title to a land measuring 18 hectares in their community purportedly belonging to Osagie Ize-Iyamu by the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki.
In a statement signed by the Odionwere of Amagba, Hon. Joseph Iduoriyekemwen J.P., Elder Victor Aigbe, Elder O. Igbinidu, Monday Iduoriyekemwen and Elder John Eware, the community said the land was dubiously taken from the community some time ago by Ize-Iyamu.
According to the community, “We, the indigenes of Amagba Community in Oredo Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo State, wish to express our appreciation to Governor Godwin Obaseki for listening and hearkening to our pleas expressed in the various protest letters written to him on the injustice and oppression meted on us by Osagie Ize-Iyamu.”
“We are indeed grateful for the Governor’s intervention and move to revoke the Certificate of Occupancy (C-of-O) on a land measuring over 18 hectares, which was dubiously taken from us some time ago by the said individual.”
According to them, “We hereby state, without equivocation that the said expanse of land, amounting to over 18 hectares did not wholly belong to Ize-Iyamu because portions of it were allocated to other individuals.
“The portion of the land within the 18 hectares to which Ize-Iyamu laid claim, hitherto awarded to him by the community, has since been revoked by the people and leaders of Amagba, after several letters by the people and a final letter written to him by the legal representative of the Amagba Community.”
“As a community, we decided to withdraw the large expanse of land over which Ize-Iyamu sat, under the guise of setting up an Agricultural Institution to create jobs as well as open up the area for increased economic activities,” they added.
The community accused Ize-Iyamu of employing deceit when acquiring the land, noting, “It turned out that Ize-Iyamu only used the proposed agricultural institution to deceitfully acquire the land from the community, because in fact, there has never been any activity on the said parcel for these many years: Rather, the place, having been left unused, has become a den of criminals, posing severe security and safety threat to women, children and the entire people of Amagba Community.”
“It is important to emphasize that, even before the community began to solicit the intervention of the governor, several engagements have been ongoing to draw Ize-Iyamu’s attention to the need to vacate the said property, having failed to put it to use for the purpose for which it was allocated.”
“We have, over the years, endured the pain and agony of the domination of Mr. Ize-Iyamu, who has depended on his political clout and connection with successive governments, to deprive us of the purposeful use of our land and also put our lives in danger, having left such a vast land unused in the midst of a thriving community, thereby making the land a cover for armed robbers, rapists, hoodlums, among others,” they said.
They praised the governor for his decision, adding, “We are therefore immensely grateful to his Excellency, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, for his intervention in revoking the land title and opening up opportunities for the land to be used by government to advance the development of Amagba community and its environs.
“The people of Amagba also acknowledge the numerous developmental projects embarked upon by the Governor in our community, including the over 15km Ugbor-Amagba Road, which has since been completed, as well as several other adjoining roads that have been constructed. We, once more, reaffirm our unflinching support for the Governor for his interest in the development of Amagba Community and appeal that these efforts be sustained.”
