The leadership of Ugbekoko Community of Delta State at the weekend said the defence being put up by the Chairman of Sapele Okpe Community, Chief Onoriode Temiagin that Ugbekoko land belongs to Sapele Okpe Community because of a market built there lacked merit.
“‘This is the stock in trade to claim land by any means. Their illegal incursion into our land with the connivance of SEPLAT will be resisted forcefully within the ambit of the laws of our land.”
The leadership of Ugbekoko community in a statement said virtually all petroleum upstream operations of SEPLAT Sapele West Limited were in Ugbekoko land.
“This includes the flow station, jetty, well heads, pipeline and the new drilling site subject of the investigation arising from protests of Abigborodo, Obotie and Ugbekoko communities.”
The statement signed by Henry Mabamue, Chairman, Sunday Omalor, Secretary and Rieco Tsoluwa, Public Relations Officer of Ugbekoko Community Management Committee challenged the claim of bias raised by the Sapele Okpe Community on the visit to the locus in quo by the Chief Edwin Uzor led committee.
“The leadership of Sapele Okpe, Ugbukurusu and representatives of SEPLAT were together in a sea truck boat during the visit. They deliberately decided to go on their own voyage. Their request for the removal of Chief Uzor and his team is a ploy to cow the investigation panel and call on the involvement of the Executive Governor of Delta State to their favour against the truth.”
The leaders urged the Delta State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori to ignore calls by the Sapele Okpe and Ugbukurusu communities for the removal of Chief Edwin Uzor and his team.
“They never wanted the panel to visit and see for themselves the true state of affairs. We as a community are ready and prepared to be part of any other visit that may be scheduled in the course of this investigation.”
Particularly, the leaders threw back the challenge at the Sapele Okpe Community to check its records and be specific on the Okpe Sobo Forest Reserve.
”The Sapele Okpe Community do not have any land in the Okpe Sobo forest reserve as the 1,200 hectares cutout released to them sold by them to CEDDI Corporation Limited. The said Judicial Commission of Enquiry found out that CEDDI Corporation Limited attempted to lay claim in excess of the 1,200 hectares by another 760.63 hectares vide a gazette legal Notice No 18 of 2005 purporting to amend the survey description in DSLN of 1999 which de reserved 1,200 hectares to Sapele Okpe Community. This was done in tacit connivance of the people/leadership of Sapele Okpe Community.”
According to Ugbekoko leaders, the said judicial commission of enquiry found and made pronouncement on the failure of the oil companies operating in Ugbekoko land to pay royalties to Ugbekoko Community, the owners of the land.
“This raises the question, having ceded all lands given to them, where lies claim of lands in and around the forest reserves by the Sapele Okpe Community? The Judicial Commission of Enquiry actually mandated the state Peace Building and Conflict Resolution and the State Advisory Council to investigate the matter. From the decision of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Okpe Sobo Forest Reserve contained in the white paper, the visitation of Chief Edwin Uzor led peace building and conflict resolution team is legally authorized to carry out the investigation even without the prompting of any interested party be it SEPLAT or Abigborodo Community.”
The leaders said ”the existence of Ugbekoko predates the advent of the Okpe Sobo forest reserve referred to then as the Ukpe Sobo native administration Reserve Constituted by Order No 33 of 1933 during the rule of the British administration in Nigeria.”
“We are descendants of Aribiowu from IFON who migrated to the farm and found the Ekoko Farm fertile enough. The said farm was given to him by the Abigborodo people through a lease agreement dated 24th May 1913 executed by Pa Edun and Okomama on behalf of Abigborodo Community. When Ugbekoko was forcefully included in the Okpe Sobo Forest reserve without the notice of our fore-fathers and the Abigborodo people, the head lessors, it was the effort of Chief Okonedo, the then Alema of Warri who engaged the British Administration with several letters that caused the release from the forest reserve by the Delta State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Okpe Sobo forest reserve and given effect to by the Delta State Government in the consequential white paper. “
They also stressed the efforts of their landlords that tremendously assisted in the discharge of farmers arrested and charged to court for farming on the forest reserve without authority of the administration of the forest reserve.
“We further state that the Delta State Judicial Commission of Enquiry investigated the case of force and legal encroachment of Ugbekoko land by the Sapele Okpe Community and indeed Oton people.”
By Fidel Njamanze
