Ancestral Shrines: Okowa’s kinsmen sue Delta government for N50billion

The people of Owa-Ekei Community, the home town of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, have instituted legal fireworks against the Delta State Government over alleged destruction of their ancestral shrines and other traditional values, Fresh Angle International has gathered.

The people in suit asking for N50billion damages, alleged that the State Government through its agents, infringed on their rights by unlawfully invading their ancestral shrines, including tombs, monuments and other traditional values.

In suit no 11/106/02/DTSHC/ instituted at the High Court in Asaba, Owa Ekei people through their lawyer, Barr. Chris Ehianuka, claimed that agents of Delta State Government also encroached on the sources of the community’s protection and inspiration, adding that the Okpara-Uku, Elders in Council, Chiefs and others in the community met and resolved to seek redress at the law court, since the State Government purportedly refused to tender apology and pay compensation of N50billion within 21-day ultimatum the community earlier issued.

Our Delta North Correspondent reports that representatives in the suit for the community include: Mr. Francis Obihian, Mr. Samuel Ahanor, Mr. Raphael Agede, Mr. Onyeka Iraiwu, Mr. Lucky Onyebigwa and Ikechukwu Elelegu. 

A copy of the writ of summons made available to Fresh Angle International, averred, “sometime in the month of December 2016, the Delta State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Chief Dan Okenyi and his agents allegedly invaded the community (Owa Ekei) lands and bulldozed individual farmlands, their property and proceeds to their reserved lands, housing the community’s ancestral shrines, tombs, monuments including herbs, farms and allegedly destroyed them, claiming the lands belong to the State Government”.

The writ further alleged that the agents including the Commissioner, who supervised the act, claimed they were acting on the instructions of the Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, adding that the shrines had been aged long custom and tradition of the community, which preserve the people from dangers. 

It noted that all through the years, the shrines have never been destroyed or harm anybody from the community, rather it serves as protection. One of the elders of the community, Chief Edward Obano, said it was a taboo and abomination to see their shrines destroyed by persons who claimed to be agents of the state government, adding that several letters of complaints to the State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa on the destruction of their shrines fell on deaf ears. 

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The community elders further alleged that the Chief Priests of the shrines were chased away by “aggrieved bees following the alleged destruction of the shrines, indication that the gods were angry and have been rendered homeless”. 

Although hearing date has not been fixed, But in a swift reaction, the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Chief Dan Okenyi dispelled all allegations against him as untrue, saying that officials of the Ministry of Lands and Survey under the mandate to recover government lands and property carried out their civic duties in Owa-Ekei community. 

He said that it was not the business of the officials to know whether there were shrines or not in government lands. “There is no cause for alarm, we shall meet in court when the time comes,” he added.

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