Omadino Community to Delta Government, Chevron: Prof. Yomere has our mandate to speak on the JIV, not Oniyesan

Ahead of the crucial meeting slated for tomorrow, Wednesday January 26 at Asaba, between the Delta State Government, officials of Chevron Nigeria Limited and representatives of Itsekiri Nation, particularly Omadino Community and people of Gbaramatu, indigenes of Omadino Community, under the aegis of Omadino Liberation Group, OLG, have warned Delta State Government and the management of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL not to deal with Amb. Austine Oniyesan, saying the only person mandated to speak on behalf of the oil and gas-rich Omadino Community, regarding land ownership, is the Chairman Board of Trustees of Omadino Community, Prof. Gabriel Yomere.

The OLG, while addressing the media Tuesday January 25 at Omadino Community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, shortly after its emergency meeting, averred: “The GMoU Model established in 2005 between Clusters of Communities, the NNPC/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture and state governments (in this context, Delta State Government) does not cede any jot of Omadino lands to Chevron or any other multinational oil and gas company at that”.

Video Clip of  Mr. Oritseweyinmi Agbonekuya Emmanuel Aginejuone, speaking, flanked by Mrs. Tsaye Mene

Speaking through Mr. Oritseweyinmi Agbonekuya Emmanuel Aginejuone, Mrs. Tsaye Mene and Mr. Godspower Onoghor Diden, the Omadino Liberation Group, emphatically noted that the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Omadino Community, Prof. Gabriel Yomere, with the authority of the Olare-Aja (Oldest Man) and Chairman Council of Elders of Omadino Community, is the only one mandated to speak on land issues as it affects Omadino and not, “Amb. Austin Oniyesan, the purported Chairman of Itsekiri Regional Development Community”.

Whilst insisting: “The Olare-Aja (Oldest Man) and Chairman Council of Elders of Omadino Community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, Elder O.D. Edukugho, the Chairman Board of Trustees of the Community, Prof. Gabriel Yomere, Secretary of the Council of Elders, Mr. Jonad Ometan and 10 others, on behalf of themselves and purportedly of Omadino Community, had dragged Amb. Austine Oniyesan, Barr. Richard Omare, Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL and Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, to the Warri Judicial Division of High Court of Justice, Delta State, over alleged expiration of tenure of Amb. Oniyesan and six other nominees of the community, to the executive of Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC”, OLG reiterated: “The suit with No: W/264/2020, is coming after Prof. Yomere, ‘upon instructions from the Olare-Aja and Council of Elders of Omadino’, purportedly on December 4, 2020, wrote a letter titled, “Pre-Action to Sue”, to Amb. Oniyesan, who is Chairman of IRDC, ‘inundating him that his tenure has expired and formally introduced the 7^th-13^th claimants (vis-à-vis Mr. Godspower Onogho, Mrs. Tsaye Edeyibo Mene, Mr. Matthew Edukugho, Mr. Samson Okoribobo, Mr. Sunny Mofe Eyekosi, Mr. Godwin Tsola and Mr. Alfred Okotie) to the Itsekiri Regional Development Committee, IRDC, replacing the 1^st Defendant and his members”.

The OLG, which asserted that the leadership of Omadino Community had written several letters to “inform Chevron that whatever Amb. Austin Oniyesan is doing in the name of the community is illegal, because his tenure has ended”, added: “We vehemently oppose any political solution that will sacrifice our God-given land in order to satisfy the expansionist tendency of certain people, under the pretentious move of finding solution to the issue of JIV with Chevron Nigeria limited, CNL. 

“The issue of ownership of the land in question was settled by the Supreme Court in 1951 and a sharing formula for any proceeds from the land was agreed between Omadino Community and her settlers in the court judgement. This has been the precedent since then with Bakokodia (Kokodiagbene) the persons we have the JIV with, not Gbaramatu kingdom.

“We would not tolerate any attempt to use JIV as a tool to steal our God-given land, which we have successfully defended legally, up to the Supreme Court.

“We wish to state categorically that no man is bigger than the law of the land, including the Government who made the laws. The records of ownership of the land in question is there for all to see. The government have it and the multinational companies also have copies of it. 

“We also remember the several politically motivated meetings called by Governor Okowa held in the Government House Asaba, to arm- twist us to give our land for political solution. 

It is instructive to declare at this juncture that Omadino Community has not and will never permit any political jobber(s) in Itsekiri Nation to trade any jot of our land for their political or business interest, under the guise of seeking peace. Delta State Government, land encroachers and other members of the general public, should take note”.

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