- As Community Stages Peaceful Protest In Support Of Project
By Andy Akeni/Magnus Emuji
THE Ugoani of Okpanam, Dr. Michael Mbenefo Ogbolu and other community leaders have reaffirmed that the land housing the Obi Cubana Millennium City rightly belong to Okpanam Community in Oshimili North Local Government Area, Delta State.
The royal father and others made the reaffirmation when elders and youths of the community, who were on a peaceful protest in support of Obi Cubana Millennium City project, visited his palace.
While throwing more light on the acquisition of the said land, the traditional ruler disclosed that a lot of consultations were made before the land was sold to Obi Cubana for the projects.
He said the project is a welcome development to the community and Delta State in general and placed curse on anybody trying to derail the project.
The monarch reassured Obi Cubana that the Okpanam community remained solidly behind him, praying God for the success of the project.
Also speaking at the project site, the President-General of Okpanam Youth Organization (OYO), Comrade Lucky Okolo, made it clear that the land belong to Okpanam Community and urged the Issele-Azagba Community in Aniocha North Local Government Area to abstain from land grabbing activities in Okpanam and desist henceforth from claiming ownership of the land where Cubana Millennium City is situated.
Comrade Okolo implored Issele -Azagba community not to disrupt development activities by Obi Cubana on the project site as he duly acquired the land from the owners of the land which is Ogbeozoma Village in Okpanam.
He alleged that Issele -Azagba people were strangers in the area, stressing that their forefathers in demonstration of hospitality decided to accommodate them in the place where they are presently residing.
While saying that the peaceful demonstration was aimed at building mutual and cordial relationship for developers, particularly Obi Cubana, Comrade Okolo warned that Okpanam community will no longer tolerate any land grabbling activities.
He asked Obi Cubana to rewrite his signpost from Cubana Millennium City, Asaba to Cubana Millennium City, Okpanam, saying that the signpost should not in any way carry Asaba. Also speaking, the Ikejiani of Okpanam Kingdom, Chief Felix Okafor, explained that the peaceful demonstration was necessitated by a recent publication alleging that where Cubana Millennium City is sited belonged to Issele -Azagba Community.
Chief Okafor said that the publication was not only untrue and baseless but misleading, adding that the people of Okpanam Community only harboured Issele -Azagba Community, just as he stated that they should not take the gesture as foolishness. He called on the state government, under the leadership of Rt. (Hon.) Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene and establish their boundaries once and for all.
Also, the solicitor to the community, Chief (Sir) Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said that it was obvious that some Okpanam indigenes were conniving with the people of Issele -Azagba community to perpetuate land grabbing in the area, pointing out that Issele -Azagba community cannot act on their own knowing fully well that the land was not theirs.
In response to a video being circulated by the Iseele-Azagba Community, Chief Ejiofor said they cannot act following a purported consent judgment being circulated in the video.
He pointed out that the true position of the law and facts clearly show that the land belonged to Ogbeozoma Community of Okpanam.
In his words “the land presently being develop by Obi Cubana Group is free from encumbrances, lien, adverse claim or subsisting judgement. Any attempt to associate it with unrelated litigation or disputed consent judgment is misleading, defamatory and calculated attempt generate confusion”
Likewise, the Diokpa-Isi of Ogbeozoma Community, Okpanam, Ogbueshi Joseph Aninye, said the land rightly belonged to his community in Okpanam, adding that Issele-Azagba people were tenants. In their separate remarks, the Chairman of Obodogba Youths, Comrade Chukwuma Abumujor and a frontline aspirant for the position of Okpanam Youth President, Comrade Fidelis Ogochukwu Okonma, who is the immediate past Secretary of the organization described the peaceful demonstration as apt and needed to correct the erroneous impression by Issele -Azagba people claiming ownership of what does not belong to them
Okonma commended Okpanam youths for their support to Okolo-led administration, assuring that he would consolidate on the achievements of Comrade Okolo if given the opportunity to lead Okpanam youths having been part and parcel of the administration as the Secretary before his resignation.
