The people of Okere-Urhobo community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State have staged a peaceful protest over their land acquired by previous governments.
The Okere-Urhobo people also alleged that Governor Uduaghan and some political bigwigs allegedly allocated some plots of the lands to themselves while in government.
The Okere-Urhobo also called on the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s led administration to as a matter of urgency return their lands to them.
The protesters who chanted solidarity songs carried placards with inscriptions such as, “Political office is not for safe aggrandisement”, “Okere-Urhobo people are peace-loving people, but we are not stupid people”, “Stop using our hungry brothers to sell their future and that of their children”,” Okowa has served Delta State well. Land grabbers should not drag his name in the mud”, “Expand the college of nursing Warri like that of the Technical College in Uvwie Local Government Area, “Mother and Child Hospital can be replicated in Warri South,” and “land grabbing is a crime.”
Former Okere-Urhobo Youth President, Comrade Festus Otesiri Igherebuo said the land was first sited by Governor Ogbemumia of defunct Bendel State on the grounds that they wanted to use the land for the benefit of the people. He noted that the land wasn’t used for the purpose for which it was given before Delta State was created.
He said, former governor Uduaghan allegedly reallocated/sited the land for the purpose of industrial park and other amenities but they abandoned it.
According to him, Uduaghan started and commissioned the DBIR headquarters with employment given to Itsekiri people to detriment of Okere-Urhobo people. He, however, pointed out that only seven of Okere-Urhobo indigenes work in the DBIR Board.
He said the government does not want to use the land for the purpose it was given out, the government should return their lands to them instead of sharing the same amongst themselves.
The Oghuvwie Otor-Orere(leader in Okere-Urhobo Community), Chief Frank Okolobe aligned himself with the positions of the former Youth President saying,”Government should return their lands if they’re not ready to use it.”
A leader in Okere-Urhobo Community, Comrade Igho Okumagba noted that the land belongs to Okere-Urhobo people just as he warned that the government return same if they’re not ready to utilize it.
The Okere-Urhobo Chief Priest, Hope Okiti who was clad in his traditional attire said the land belongs to their deity pointing out that,”many deities are there”.
She said the land have been allegedly shared with the immediate past governor of Delta State, Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa, his principal Secretary, Hillary Ibegbulem and other political bigwigs in the State.
Okiti who came in the protest barefooted questioned if they want to chase the deities and people of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom from their land.
She warned that nobody should come to appease any deity on their behalf stressing that they should hand off from the land if they are not ready to develop and use same.
He said, if they develop the land which has been allegedly claimed by the politicians, the people of Okere-Urhobo Kingdom and Delta State at large will benefit greatly from it.
Our Correspondent, reports that the land in question is currently accommodating the Delta State College of Nursing&the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, DBIR, Warri is situated on Airport road by Edjeba junction.
But the Okere-Urhobo people said there’s also an uncompleted building project as well as the abandoned Industrial Park embarked by Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan, former governor of Delta State in a part of the land.
They noted that Dr. Uduaghan sited the DBIR headquarters as well as the Industrial model park, which has been abandoned due to inefficiency and lack of funds by the Uduaghan’s administration.
