Okowa Promises Intervention as Youths Protest Alleged Land Grabbing in Okpanam
Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
Delta State Government has promised to intervene in the land encroachment allegation raised by the people of Okpanam community in Oshimili North Local Government Area against some individuals in the neighboring community of Ibusa.
The State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, gave the assurance while addressing protesting youths of Okpanam who stormed Government House Asaba to register their displeasure about land-grabbing in their community allegedly being master-minded by a certain traditional chief in Ibusa.
He urged the people to embrace peace and work without the state government to find a lasting solution to the series of land crises between them and some persons in neighboring Ibusa.
The governor, who was represented by his Chief Economic Adviser, Dr. Kingsley Emu, said that trouble and violence will yield nothing but negative consequences.
While commending the protesters for conducting themselves peacefully and for not taking laws into their hands, he stressed the need for Ibusa and Okpanam communities to work together as one close family in order to attract more development to their communities.
‘’We have heard your complaints on alleged land encroachment. We have also heard that a Supreme Court Judgment is involved on some parcels of land. We will receive your petition, which should be clear and signed properly, and then we forward the same to the Attorney-General to review your claims,’’ he said.
However, the Okpanam youths appealed to the government authorities to halt what they called “the nefarious activities of land grabbers before it will snowball into serious breakdown of law and order.”
The Okpanam Youth President, Mr. Lucky Okolo, accused Chief Fred Ajudua and the State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Hon. Kate Onianwa, both from Ibusa, of encroaching into Okpanam community land.
He said that Okpanam had tolerated the activities of Ajudua and the lands and survey commissioner long enough and would no longer bear the insults from the Ibusa indigenes.
According to Okolo, within the past few months, there have been reported cases of illegal land deals, killings, attacks and assaults with some youths apprehended already facing trial in court while some were remanded in the correctional centre at Oghashi-Uku.
He urged the governor to prevail on the aforementioned commissioner “to stop making things difficult for them to push forward the land matter”.
He observed that the Obodogwugwu axis of Okpanam and other Okpanam landed property were invaded recently, saying only God saved the situation from leading to loss of lives.
Okolo called on the government and the police commissioner to take urgent steps to stop the illegal land grabbers, saying the youths of Okpanam would take every lawful step necessary to recover their land from trespassers.
He alleged that some individuals were hiding under a certain Supreme Court judgment to justify encroachment into their community lands.
‘’We are not against the judgment of the Supreme Court, but there should be a proper interpretation; of where it started and where it ended regarding the lands. You cannot use a Supreme Court Judgment on one land case and use it on another place.
‘’Okpanam Community has been very peaceful and loving, which is why we kept quiet over the years; we do not want to take laws into our hands. Our best option now is to report to the state government and inform the public what is happening,’’ he said.
Eventually, the chief economic adviser received their petition and other accompanying documents on behalf of the state government and urged them to remain peaceful while the government handled the matter.
