Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state has given assurance to the people of Okpanam in Oshimili North local government area that the land crisis between the community and one Fred Ajudua, an indigene of Ibusa in the same local government area would be investigated and resolved.
Governor Okowa spoke on Thursday when youths of the Okpanam community with placards and pot loaded with charms protested to the state government house, calling for intervention as they alleged that the said Ajudua was terrorizing the people of the area and selling their lands against their consent.
Represented by Dr. Kingsley Emu, the economic adviser to the governor, Okowa said the petitions the Okpanam indigenes submitted would be transferred to the state ministry of justice where a team of lawyers would be drafted to investigate the land crisis and make appropriate recommendations.
Okowa who spoke to the youths at the entrance to the government house, said: “We have heard your concerns. We have heard your worries. It is the encroachment on your land. We also heard there is a Supreme Court judgment on some parcel of land. We also know of a gazette delineating Asaba from Okpanam and possibly Okpanam from Ibusa.
“So, we need your petitions properly signed from you. We will get a legal team. We have a ministry populated with over 500 lawyers. We are ready for litigations. We will handover this document to the attorney general of the state to begin the review of your claims. It is a matter of claims.
“We will try and verify that. Incidentally, your son is the secretary to the state government. You have said it that Okowa has performed significantly well in your community Okpanam. It is no longer easy to separate Asaba from Okpanam. It is difficult because there are no bushes again. There are no bad roads any longer.
“We commend you for supporting this government over the years and I pray you will continue to support the government. What is important is that no one can take the laws into his hands. So, please don’t take the laws into your hands. Let us go through a proper process. We shall invite all the people concerned after investigation of this document. So, please remain law abiding.
“I will tell Chief Patrick Ukah about this. And I will give him a copy of this. As SSG, he should help fast track this process. The governor will be briefed immediately he gets back from his official assignment.”
The Okpanam youths led by the community youth president, Lucky Okolo marched from Okpanam roundabout through to government house chanting solidarity songs and calling Fred Ajudua to leave their lands for them.
In a petition addressed to the governor, the speaker of the state house of assembly, Sheriff Oborevowri and the state commissioner of police, a copy of which was handed to journalists, the youths alleged that Ajudua in alleged connivance with Kate Onianwa, commissioner for lands and surveys, has renewed efforts to forcefully acquire communal lands in both Obodogba quarters and Obodogwugwu quarters of the community.
Okolo also alleged that Ajudua had boasted that he has conquered the people of ofOgbe-Owelle village in the heart of Okpanam, noting that he threatened that he has the capacity to take over the entire land of Obodogba quarters if the people of Umu-Isagba would give him the power of attorney to carry out the attacks.
The youth president itemized series of allegations against Fred Ajudua and the state commissioner for lands and survey, Oninawa whom he said is reportedly working in connivance with her brother to frustrate efforts to resolve the communal crisis.
He told the governor that the commissioner for lands and survey has been using her office to block every interventionist move by both Okpanam and Ibusa at bringing the crisis to an end.
Speaking during the protest to the government house, he said: “We are now out. We have been sleeping. We cannot continue to sleep again. We don’t want to do anything against the law. That is why we are here. And we believe that the governor will listen to us.
“I want the governor to proffer solution to this problem. He should tell us the boundary of Okpanam with Ibusa and Asaba. This is so that all of us will seat peacefully. Okpanam and Ibusa people are brothers. We love Ibusa people. It is not Ibusa people that are causing this problem. It is few people.
“We are aware that Okpanam land is gazetted. They are public documents that everybody is aware of. The governor should engage the ministry of lands and survey to delineate the boundaries so that all these problems will stop. But because of Fred Ajudua’s influence in the ministry of lands, we are appealing that Kate Onianwa be redeployed to another ministry so that justice will prevail.”
