Obotie Elders hit Temiagin: You lack capacity to drag Governor Oborevwori into ethnic tension

The Elders’ Council of Obotie, an Itsekiri Community in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, has lashed out at the Chairman of Sapele Okpe Community, Chief Onoriode Temiagin, saying Chief Temiagin, lacks the capacity to drag Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, into ethnic tension.

The Obotie Elders, in a statement made available to Fresh Angle International, Tuesday January 21, declared that Chief Temiagin’s alleged subtle threat of war, was not new Obotie Community as indigenes of Obotie, were “victim of a collective onslaught and aggressions” that were “poured” on them in the past “by a premediated and combined forces of the entire Sapele Okpe Community.”

The Obotie Elders, in the statement signed by the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Secretary, Pa. Simeon Brikinn, Pa. Peter Ogholaja and Mr. George Facah as well as the Chairman and Secretary of Obotie Management Council, Engr. Samuel Atiwe and Hon. Godwin Fenemigho, respectively, noted inter-alia: “Our attention, have been drawn to a Press Briefing that is credited to One Chief Onoriode Temiagin (Chairman, Sapele Okpe Community), One Mr. Azan Friday (Chairman, Ugbukurusu Community) and others.

“It is not in our nature to reply neither is it in our characters to glorify crass displays of Ignorance, hogwash, inordinate narrations and unrepentant attitude of lies peddling that were ignobly displayed by Chief Onoriode Temiagin and others, but it is charitable to educate Members of the Public, hence it becomes imperative to set the record straight as it concerns the stentorian lies and sinister narratives that were copiously repeated in the aforementioned press briefing.

“We shall join issues with Chief Onoriode Temiagin and others in these following unequivocal and lucid ways:

“Firstly, the legal status of Obotie People as it concerns the  ownership of Obotie Community is casted in gold from time immemorial and has been given judicial approval in the year 1925 by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in the case of Muwunum vs. Achydoma.  In suit No. MW/451/53 between Jewiragba & co. vs. Jonomi, the court further ticked the judicial scale in Favor of Obotie People as it concerns the ownership of Obotie Community.

“More recently, the Government white paper on the report of the judicial panel of enquiry into the Okpe- Urhobo ( Okpe-Sobo ) Forest Reserve and other ancillary matter, relating to deserved portion(s) and encroachment, the Panel held that Sapele Okpe Community claim of the ownership of the Okpe Urhobo (Ukpe Sobo) forest Reserve can not be substantiated as several Communities were living in the area prior to its constitution and some of these communities were not of Sapele- Okpe extraction and they exercised acts of ownership over the land they occupied. We make bold to say that Obotie Community is among the Communities that are not of Okpe extraction, but have been in the Okpe sobo forest Reserve prior to the constitution of the Reserve.

“Relying on the above judicial and quasi- judicial authorities, it is crystal clear that Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his co- travellers, were either playing to the gallery or speaking from ignorance when they ascribed exclusive ownership of the Okpe- sobo Forest Reserve to the Sapele Okpe Community as it has been lucidly shown that Obotie Community belongs to the Obotie People.

“Secondly, we are not surprised at the unjustifiable, reckless, inordinate and senseless attacks that are being meted on the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace Building And Conflict Resolution and his Team, as these has been the stock in trade of the Sapele Okpe Community in general and the Ugbukurusu Community in particular.

“These nefarious actions are not new to us. A typical example is the inability of Ugbukurusu Community to open her defense for   more than 14 ( fourteen) years in a trespass  suit that was filed against her (Ugbukurusu Community) by Obotie Community instead, Ugbukurusu Community have been resorting  to physical attacks, trying to make the case start denovo and other immature display of technicalities. we are not surprise that the Sapele Okpe  Community resorts to cheap blackmails, vituperations, names calling and attacks just to disrupt the peaceful resolution process that culminated to the inspection/ assessment/visits to affected area.

“Representatives of the Sapele Okpe Community, Ugbukurusu and Seplat, were present in the Boat that carried the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution.

“The sack calls that were made by Chief Onoriode Temiagin, is not only laughable, but an attempt to shift the goal post in the middle of a match as there are no justifiable reasons to make such calls. The question that begs for an answer is whether Obotie Community is within the 5 (five) kilometers radius to the exploration area as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act?

“The Special Adviser to the Governor, have been unbiased and true to an amiable peaceful resolution that represent the true state of things as they affect Seplat operations and the impact they have on all impacted communities, hence Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his People resorted to playing shenanigans, even when the report on the investigation is not yet out.

“Thirdly, the Sapele Okpe Community in league with Seplat have been hatching and orchestrating all sorts of sinister plans to undermine Obotie Community from getting her benefits as a Community, that is impacted by the activities of Seplat. Seplat has recruited the leadership of the Sapele Okpe Community to frustrate the innocuous and legal claims of Obotie Community, hence this kind of ill motivated press briefing that is credited to the likes of Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his likes. 

“Another question that begs for an answer is how did Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his likes became spoke persons for Seplat that warrants to make submission for Seplat? Again, these exhibits heinous conspiracy between Sapele Okpe Community and Seplat to deprive Obotie Community from her legal rights, privileges and benefits that are accruable to her as her impacted Community to Seplat operations.

“Fourthly, just like our Ancestors before us, we are determined and in our righteous might we shall continue to defend Obotie Community, which is our Ancestral home from the likes of Seplat and the Sapele Okpe Community.

“These ignoble calls that are credited to Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his group of warmongers bring to mind the judgement of King Solomon as it concerns the biblical story of the two Women that were dragging living baby as posited in 1 kings 3: 16- 28.

“Chief Onoriode Temiagin and others have forgotten that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is a Governor of, by and for all Deltans and not a Governor for, by and of the Okpe People. Chief Onoriode Temiagin lacks the capacity to drag the exalted Office of Governor of Delta State into petty tribal/ ethnic tension as the Governor is a Father of all Deltans and all tribes in Delta State. We are confidently confident that his Excellency Governor Sheriff Oborevwori will not act on the utterance of Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his likes, who are behaving like football players, who are anticipating defeat from a stronger team.

“At this point, we are passionately requesting the protection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori against the oppression of both the leadership of Sapele Okpe Community and that of Sapele.

“It is against the background of the above incontrovertible facts, that we are imploring the public in general and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, to ignore the ignorable, callous, sinister and reckless narratives and allegations that are being peddled by Sapele Okpe Community as same lacks substance and truth hence they should be fizzled into the thin air.” 

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