… serves demolition notice on illegal land occupiers
The long-standing boundary dispute between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities has been resolved by the Delta State government, according to Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Kingsley Emu, during an enlarged stakeholders meeting on the Aladja-Ogbe-Ijoh boundary dispute meeting held at the office of the SSG.
At the meeting, Dr. Emu, who gave a background history of the conflict, noted that past administrations in the state (Military and Civilian) had tried to intervene by setting up various panels of inquiries such as the Justice Azinge Inquiry of 1996; Justice Nwulu Inquiry of 2009, and Prof. Ekoko’s Panel of 2016, to settle the issue, but without success.
He stated that there was also a private initiative by some eminent Deltans to mediate the crises, which was led by Chief Edwin Ekpoko, but unfortunately, their efforts did not yield the desired results.
The SSG said the immediate past administration of Dr Ifeanyi Okowa also made efforts to resolve the conflict through the Office of the Special Adviser on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, which had officials of the Ministries of Lands and Survey, Justice, representatives of both communities, and chairmen of the Councils at that time.
He noted that the team made good progress by demarcating the boundaries between the two communities from Warri River up to Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja road to the satisfaction of both communities, but the demarcation from this point up to Major General Dumeje’s Canal was not acceptable to them.
Dr Emu said at this point after further consultation, the team worked with the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly to re-align the line of division for this particular segment of the boundary.
The SSG said the present administration, disturbed by the enduring stalemate on the dispute, through the Ministry of Youth Development in conjunction with the office of the Secretary to the State Government, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace and Conflict Resolutions and the Ministry of Justice, brokered a dialogue between the youth leaders and other stakeholders of both communities who presented 12 representatives each.
Dr Emu stated that far reaching resolutions were taken at the two-day consultation meeting with the communities where it was agreed that they should go home and meet with critical segment of their communities and come out with unanimous resolutions and recommendations that would be binding on them and they were to revert to the government on the collective resolutions of their communities.
The SSG said the outcome of this engagement with the youths led to an enlarged stakeholders meeting and reiterated that the administration of Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oberevwori remained strongly committed to the course of development across the state, and for which peace is an indispensable factor.
Moreover, it was the position of the government that this meeting with both sides would be the last mediation effort to terminate the boundary dispute and free up the area for development and for freedom to thrive, noting that the government was not willing to play politics with lives and properties.
In conclusion, the SSG stated that the gtate had resolved that the boundary line already established by the Special Adviser on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution and his team, which leads from Warri River up to Major General Dumeje’s Canal would be upheld by the government.
Dr Emu equally stated that the state has acquired the remaining portion of the disputed territory, which starts from Major General Dumeje Canal as a reserve, stating that a gazette will be issued in due course to this effect and which will provide the survey description of the area and that the Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, will make a proclamation on the acquisition.
In their remarks the representative of the Pere of Ogbe-Ijoh kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area, High Chief Anthony Jolomo and two others who spoke for the community, commended the state government for convening the meeting and urged government not to hesitate to implement its resolutions as delays and hesitation in the implementation of previous peace initiatives had allowed the dispute to fester.
Similarly in his remarks, representative of the traditional ruler of Aladja, Chief Otto Ogbiruruets, along with Chief Paulson Obiebi, expressed their happiness for the meeting, noting that it was the first sign of very positive action on the part of the government to end the dispute but observed that sincerity should be upheld by both sides for the goal of peace to be achieved.
In his goodwill message The Obuzor of Ibuzor, His Royal Majesty, Obi Prof Louis Nwoboshi, who represented the chairman of the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, also reiterated the need for peaceful co-existence of communities in the state, while calling on Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities to sustain the peace brokered between them by the state government.
At the end of the meeting, the SSG thanked Governor Oborevwori for his commitment, consistency, objectivity and political will power to deliver on the peace process in the Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh boundary dispute.
On a similar note, Delta government has issued demolition notices on illegal occupiers of government lands, particularly Dennis Osadebay University lands in Asaba.
Chairman, Taskforce on Recovery of Government Lands, Chief Frank Omare, gave the demolition notice during an inspection of the affected lands in Asaba, the state capital.
Chief Omare, who was flanked by members of the committee, warned that the government would no longer tolerate illegal structures built on government lands by land speculators.
Areas visited by the Committee include 74 Road, Musa Camp and Dennis Osadebay University, Anwai-Asaba.
Chief Omare stressed that, as a responsible administration, the state government had given enough notice to the illegal developers and warned that those who have valuable items in their houses should remove them before the demolition exercise begins.
He said the committee had carried out enough enlightenment to the affected land speculators to stop deceiving investors to acquire lands belonging to the state government.
The chairman appealed to investors to make appropriate enquiries before buying any land, warning that ignorance was not an excuse.
“We have given them adequate time and they know that where they have built is government land. None of these developers has Certificate of Occupancy (CofO).
“This exercise will also be carried out wherever government lands have been encroached on across the 25 local government areas of the state,” Omare said.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Ben Oghojafor debunked accusations of the university selling land to developers at Musa Camp and pledged the institution’s support for the efforts of the committee to recover its land.
He stressed, “I have no reason, either of poverty or otherwise, induced, compelled and encouraged, to sell one meter of land belonging to Dennis Osadebay University.
“Mr Chairman, you have the full support of the university to demolish any property within the coordinates of the approved land for Dennis Osadebay University.”
Earlier, some protesters from the Iyase and Onishe families of Asaba stormed Government House, Asaba, to state their own part of the land dispute.
Spokesmen of the group appealed to the government to allow them repossess part of their family land acquired from their forefathers in 1954, stressing that demolishing areas already built up would render them homeless.
The Chief of Staff, Government House, Hon. Johnson Erijo, who received them, thanked them for the peaceful protest, assuring that their request would be channelled to the Governor for prompt action.
He said the government was committed to ensuring that illegal acquisition of land was not tolerated, in addition to ensuring that communities had access to their legitimate land.
Addressing the Committee during a visit to the Nsopi area, a representative of the community, Mr Ikemefuna Akpoku, thanked Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for constituting a formidable team to recover all land belonging to the Dennis Osadebay University being encroached upon by land speculators.
He said the community was in support of the action, promising to partner the government in the recovery process.
