RE: OKERENKOKO LAND WHERE THE NIGERIAN MARITIME UNIVERSITY IS SITUATED BELONG TO GBARAMATU AND NOT ITSEKIRI: IT IS TIME TO PUT AN END TO THIS UNNECESSARY AND FALSEHOOD LAND OWNERSHIP DISPUTE BETWEEN IJAW OF GBARAMATU AND ITSEKIRI

A few days ago the social media went awash with the piece bearing the underscored subject allegedly done by a High Chief Michael Johnny.

We are accustomed to the allusion of the hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob, through which dubious minds sometimes attempt to confuse us with a view to obtaining the blessings ordained for Esau while feigning the voice of Jacob. This is exorbitantly the case with the said piece.

Having made the above point about the piece in view, we elect not to pursue the true ownership of the piece to avoid embarrassing the name and seal under which it was delivered to the public. Let us assume that the said piece was truly done byHigh Chief Michael Johnny and that he signed up without even knowing that his first name was wrongly spelt. 

Without prejudice to the above observation, the following are clearly manifest in the said piece:

1.    There is the reference to the Holy Bible and reconciliation; giving the impression that the maker of the piece and the constituency which he purports to represent are peace loving and God fearing. Let us see if we can pretend that this is the case even though we know of the plethora heinous crimes against humanity; including the killing maiming of children, women and other vulnerable components of the society,    continuous destruction of and forceful conversion of moveable and real property which is the stock in trade of people from the maker’s constituency. Let us pretend that all these did not happen so we can make some progress in this discussion at least. 

2.    The major ground upon which the claim over the land in issue as put forward by High Chief Michael Johnny rests, is physical possession simpliciter. Let us again see if we can pretend that every tenant is the owner of the property he occupieseven though the tenant in this instance participated in court cases over the ownership of the land and lost woefully with records available in the public domain.

3.    The only reference to history or record made in the said piece was quickly waved aside by it being named false. Let us see if we can pretend that by merely calling records false in a publication without providing any justification we can wish away those records.

4.    Reference was hurriedly made to an unrelated claim by the Itsekiris over Gbolokposo and a generalization was then made with the apparent intention as it is the practice of luring the Urhhobos into the issue without mentioning the ongoing forceful occupation of the land of the people of Aladjaand the repeated killings and destruction of property even with the aid of the instrumentality of the Delta State Government under the office of the Deputy Governor. Let us pretend that the Urhobos are not aware of this ploy and that that same could derail our focus from the main issue here.

5.    The piece portends that ownership of land is dependent on the conviction of the Vice President and the State Governor. Let us pretend that this is what determines the ownership of land even though the numerous court cases regarding the said land which are in favour of the Itsekiris of Omadino are in public domain with only one of that currently being appealed against by High Chief Michael Johnny and his people neither before the State Governor nor the Vice President but before the Supreme Court.

The spontaneous nature of the outburst in the piece with due respect suggests clearly that no real thought was put into it.

Even with strenuous efforts, one will be unable to see any attempt by the writer to maintain a firm connection with reason and logic which should be the major distinguishing characteristics between man and animal.

We shall presently demonstrate how deeply bereaved the said piece is with regard to logic and reasoning and as such does not deserve too much attention from an academic perspective.

The only challenge here therefore is that we have now been saddle with the task to doing a rejoinder to a piece that lacks the sparing attributes of a proper intellectual gymnastics in the human sense.

The maker of the piece and his people appear now to embrace Christianity at least by reference to the Holy Bible which is a welcome development and I am sure that the people of Aladja will be happy to hear this just as the Itsekiris who have suffered similar fates howbeit to a far wider degree in the circumstances.

Nigeria has now deployed troupes to the Gambia with a view to taking side with the law and democratic practices. What this tells us is that modern men do not subscribe to the rule of nature where might is right. Our neighbours must learn to live by the rule of law and government must learn to rule by law otherwise, we shall be grooming a generation that will send civilization back to the erareminiscent of the Hobbesian State of Nature. Let us remember that violence is not the exclusive preserve of any people, it may only take time and should the government of the day not act now the natural instinct will set the mode for what might follow.

What High Chief Michael Johnny should have done was to put forward the case of the legitimate ownership of the said land by his people and invite us to react. He knows that there have been numerous court cases over the said land all of which he and his people participated and lost hence he is unable to cite any.

Recourse to continuous destruction of and forceful conversion of moveable and real property will not support any civilized claim to land; neither will mere physical possession in the face of court judgments divesting the person in possession of ownership rights. Just like describing any historical record as false without stating the truth cannot convince a sound mind that High Chief Michael Johnny and his people own the land.

The introduction of the claim by the Itsekiris over Gbolokposo and a generalization that follows has nothing to do with the duty imposed on High Chief Michael Johnny and his people to prove ownership of the land. After all the Ijaws are currently on a mission of forceful occupation of the land of the people of Aladja and the repeated killings and destruction of their property even with the aid of the instrumentality of the Delta State Government under the office of the Deputy Governor.

Finally, the convictions of the Vice President and the State Governor have no effect on the ownership of land, leaving the piece in view allegedly done by High Chief Michael Johnny naked. 

For the avoidance of doubts, we humbly give the High Chief and his people the following as assignment. Their reaction should focus on the issues in the assignment and should not be insulting please:

React to the following in as many words as possible

The correct and genuine names for the lands wrongly published as Okerenkoko is Okerenghigho while that of Kokodiagbene is Bakokodia.

We are therefore in support of the bill for an Act to establish the Maritime University of Nigeria “Okerenghigho” written wrongly as “Okerenkoko”. We hereby commend the university project in all its ramifications except with regards to the proposal to give it a name that constitutes an outright contempt of the Court of Appeal as per the judgment in Appeal No: CA/B/230/2010 CHIEF THOMAS EKPEMUPOLO& 4 ORS VS. GODWIN EDREMODA & 5 ORS.

High Chief Michael Johnny sir, before your piece we thought that the Distinguished Senator, sponsor of the said bill might in all honesty be oblivious of the lawful name of the location of the proposed University. But now we are doing a rethink.

Arising from above, we hereby put forward the following corrections with a view to placing the facts in proper perspective and ensuing that the Sacred Chambers is not used as a tool by one ethnic group to fraudulently convert the property of another. Permit us, as law abiding and peace loving people, to draw your attention and that of your people to the following facts material to this points raised above:

1.    That the title to the vast area of land encompassing the location of the proposed university was a subject of litigation for over 40 years as can be deciphered from the copy of the judgment of the Court of Appeal referred to above. The case progressed from the trial court to the appellate court during the period in review.

2.    That the area of land subject matter in the said case encapsulates the location of the proposed University.

3.    That the judgment in the case which is that of one of the highest courts in our country has not been set aside; neither is there any order of court sought or made contrary to the declarative orders contained in the said judgment. The judgment clearly confers title to the said portion of land on the people of Omadino, who are of Itsekiri ethnic extraction.

4.     That the coastal area of Delta State of Nigeria is comprised of two major ethnic groups (the Ijaws and the Itsekiris), whereas the Delta South Senatorial District represented by Senator James Manager is made up of Isoko, Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups respectively. The Distinguished Senator is of Ijaw ethnic extraction.

5.    That there has been a very frantic attempt by a group of persons led by Government EkpemupoloA.K.A “Tompolo and his cronies to forcefully annex the said property; which development is within the knowledge of the Distinguished Senator James Manager.

6.    That as part of the grand design to achieve this illegal annexure even in the face of the subsisting judgments as shown in said case the said group of people has contrary to the lawful and globally acknowledged name of the location of the proposed University, Okerenghigho begun calling and naming it Okerenkoko. In one of the judgments in reference, Justice Obaseki held as follows: “I find as a fact that the land in dispute is called Okerenghigho by the Plaintiffs who are Itsekiri and Okerenkoko by the Ijaws who are the Defendants”. The said judgment was delivered in favour of the Itsekiris. We also invite Distinguished Members of this Sacred Chambers to the Google Map containing the locally and internationally recognized code for Okerenghigho and not Okerenkoko; as there is no known code for Okerenkoko. The fraud has escalated to a desperate level where the said group of people registered same with Google Map a few months ago to show Okerenkoko in place of Okerenghigho; forgetting that the Nigerian Postal code database does not recognize Okerenkoko but only Okerenghigho. 

7.    That had thought that the imposition of the name; “Okerenkoko” on “Okerenghigho” may not have been one done deliberately by the Distinguished Senator to mislead the public or this Sacred Senate. We now have a rethink as a result of your piece.

8.    That there is currently an on-going legal battle about those who are lawfully entitled to the compensation paid in respect of the property which is now a subject of investigation by the EFCC.

Consequently, we implore the High Chief to use his good offices to advance the course of justice in the circumstance of this case by urging his people to properly investigate the truth about the lawful name of the location of the proposed university to avoid a situation where a High Chief and his people act at variance with the judgments of several competent courts of law. 

We repose confidence in the ability of the High Chief to do the needful in the circumstances and in accordance with the oaths of office which the High Chief may have sworn to with regards to upholding the rule of law at all times in the discharge of his noble duties.

We are prepared and willing to provide furnish further information (We have several more cases)as may be required in the circumstances.

Consequently, we urge the High Chief to revisit his position with the above materials to advance the justice of the case.

We anticipate a quick response to the issues.  

Yours Faithfully,

………………………………..

EMMANUEL AGINEJUONE

(CHAIRMAN OMADINO INTERIM COMMITTEE)

………………………………………..

COMRADE ROLAND YOMERE

(SECRETARY,OMADINO INTERIM COMMITTEE)

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