Connect with us

News

Delta: Itsekiri Leaders Slam Sapele Okpe Community Leaders Over Claim On Seplat Dredging Site … Urge Gov Oborevwori To Call Sapele Okpe Leaders To Order

Published

on

Notable Itsekiri leaders of Delta State have lashed out at leaders of the Sapele Okpe Community, over what they described as the new height of perfidy and misinformation being perpetuated in the Niger Delta region.
They are particularly irked that some riverine communities which have been Itsekiri territories for decades and part of which is the Seplat Dredging Site is being claimed by the Sapele Okpe community as part of their territory.
The Itsekiri leaders in a press statement by the Chairman and Secretary of Abigborodo Management Committee, Hon Misan Ukubeyinje, ESQ and Mr Victor Atseponu in Abigborodo accused the Sapele Okpe Community leaders of trying to cause confusion and breakdown of law and order in Delta State.
They therefore called on the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and all well-meaning Deltans to disregard the content of the press statement of the Sapele Okpe Community and allow the investigation of Chief Edwin Uzor, the Special Adviser on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution and his team to do their job without fear, favour or interference.
They also accused the Sapele Okpe community leaders of concocting lies about the Alema of Warri, High Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan and the Special Adviser to the Delta State Governor on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Chief Edwin Uzor.
“Their reference to the Alema of Warri, an administrative chief of Abigborodo, Ugbekoko and several riverine communities in Warri North and Sapele Local Government Area, Chief Emmanuel Oritsejolomi Uduaghan, is defamatory and grossly disrespectful.”
They noted that, “All issues surrounding the Okpe Sobo forest reserve have been settled, and the decisions have been gazetted in Government White Paper Official Document No. 1 of 2021. Their claim of incursion into the forest reserve is baseless as they have no land in the reserve.
“However, what is in contention here is the area of Operations of Seplat, particularly the new area of drilling which the state peace building and conflict resolution is investigating.
“What is the Business of Sapele Okpe Community in the riverine areas bordering Abigborodo, Obotie and Ugbekoko communities? It is also unbelievable that Ugbukurusu which is over 15 kilometers away is laying claim to ownership in areas of land in Abigborodo, land surrounded by Abigborodo, Obotie, Ugbekoko and Aja-Okotie.”
The notable Itsekiri leaders urged the Governor to ignore and discountenance the false cry of wolves by the Sapele Okpe Community.
Similarly, the leadership of Ugbekoko Community 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.
“We as a community, the bonafide owner of the land and Host Community to Seplat West Ltd by all intents and purposes are prepared and ready for any other visit as the features, land, water and distance of our community to Seplat remain constant and we know the result of all visitation and even subsequent visitation to the area in contention will remain the same, come rain or sun.”
They alleged that attempts by them to seek a peaceful resolution is being frustrated by the Sapele Okpe Community, as “a night to the visit to the locus, Seplat Energy in collaboration with the Sapele Okpe Community concocted a narrative of false claim of intelligence that there might be armed conflict with a view to preventing the visit of the committee to cover up the obvious facts. When they failed in that ploy, SEPLAT decided to avoid the joint visit.
“Instead of acting neutral in this investigation, they are fully in league with the Sapele Okpe and Ugbukurusu communities as they were seen in a sea truck boat belonging to Seplat together, even when the takeoff point of the visit was well communicated and it was Abigborodo Jetty and the area of investigation is the Seplat Dredging Site, the communities of Abigborodo, Obotie and other surrounding communities and Seplat operational base.
“This visit by the investigation committee could be done with or without parties. They may even choose not to visit and rely on the visitation report of DSS and the inter-ministerial investigation committee that had physically visited. No matter how it is seen, the visitation had all parties and could not be labeled as biased.”
“Abigborodo community from time immemorial are owners of land covering Area of operations of Seplat including Ugbekoko Community housing Seplat jetty, several oil wells, the flow stations and virtually all the drilling locations of Seplat West Limited.
“The Abigborodo Community had made several entreaties to Seplat to be recognised as Host Community all to no avail. While the agitation was ongoing, SEPLAT decided to enter into other areas of our land to commence preparation for new oil wells. We brought it to their notice and urged them to recognise us as the Host Community and stop the illegal trespass into our land.
“In response, Seplat claimed we are the only impacted community, not the Host Community. Upon our refusal to accept the impacted community unknown to the Petroleum necessitated, our consequent action.”
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply
Advertisement

Trending