We were never and will never be tenant to Ugbukurusu Sapele Okpe Community, Obotie Elders reply Chief Temiagin

Elders of Obotie, an Itsekiri Community in Sapele Local Government Area, have declared statement credited to one Chief Onoriode Temiagin, Chairman of the Sapele Okpe Community, in a recent press briefing as “clear propagation of falsehood, deliberate acts of giving wrong and sinister interpretations to colonial instruments”, stressing: “Obotie Community was never a tenant, neither will Obotie Community will ever be tenant to the Ugbukurusu Sapele Okpe Community”.

In a statement made available to Fresh Angle International, Saturday February 1, Obotie elders, described Chief Onoriode Temiagin’s press briefing, as “self-serving, playing to the gallery and a gargantuan display of shamelessness.”

The statement, which was signed by the Chairman, Obotie Elders Council, Pa. Simeon Brikinns, Secretary, Obotie Community Elders Council, Mr. George Faka, PRO, Obotie Community Elders Council, Pa. Joseph Ogholaja as well as Chairman, Obotie Community Management Committee, Engr. Samuel Atiwe and the Secretary, Obotie Community Management Committee, Hon. Godwin Fenemigho, noted inter-alia: “Our attention has yet again been drawn to an unfortunate press briefing that is credited to one Chief Onoriode Temiagin (Chairman of the Sapele Okpe Community).

“The aforesaid press briefing is not only unfortunate, it is a clear propagation of falsehood, deliberate acts of giving wrong and sinister interpretations to colonial instruments, hence one would wonder how Chief Onoriode Temiagin becomes so erudite in telling lies and falsehood.

“For the sake of setting the record straight and putting things in a correct perspective, we join issues with the lying Chief Onoriode Temiagin and the Sapele Okpe Community in these following unequivocal ways

“Firstly, Obotie Community was never a Tenant neither will Obotie Community will ever be a Tenant to the Ugbukurusu Sapele Okpe Community. The Legal  right of the Obotie people over the Obotie Community initially understood to form part of the Ukpe Sobo Forest Reserve, was settled to finality by the Supreme Court on the 27th day of March, 1925, in the case of Muwunum ( Representative of Ugbukurusu Community of Okpe vs. Achydoma ( Representative of Obotie Community) see the judgement of the Supreme Court ) wherein the Apex Court granted title of Obotie land to the People of Obotie and importantly the court ordered arbitration to determine the boundaries and which boundaries were eventually determined vide of the Native Administration Public Notice No. 3 of 1944 made pursuant to the Forestry Ordinance No. 38 of 1937, Obotie was excised from the Forest Reserve as shown in the 1st Schedule by the Government of the then Western Province of Nigeria and witnessed by 12 “Okakure” of Odogun of Okpe, who were Representatives of the Okpe Sobo Native Authority, The size of said land thereat was given as 2.245 square miles. (See the law).

“It is pertinent to state that when the Okpe People of Ugbukurusu became aware of the steps taken by Government to cut- out Obotie Land from the Ukpe- Sobo Native Administration Forest Reserve, one Chief Chenuwa Buwuwu (an Okpe Chief of Ugbukurusu extraction) petitioned to the District Officer in charge in 1940. (See the petition written by Chief Chenuwa Buwuwu of Okpe).

“The District Officer in charge of Sapele, wrote a reply to the petition by which the claims of Chief Chenuwa Buwuwu, was declared not substantiated and status barred (see the reply of the District Officer in charge of Sapele).

“The Okpe People of Ugbukurusu further sued the People of Obotie Community in suit No. MW/51/53; Jemiragba & co vs. Jonomi; the Okpe People of Ugbukurusu later withdrew the case and the matter was struck out on the 2nd day of May, 1955.

“More recently, the Delta State 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 de-reserved portion(s) and encroachment, the Panel held that Sapele Okpe Community claim of the ownership of the Okpe Urhobo (Ukpe Sobo) forest Reserve cannot 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 ( see the white paper

“Relying strongly on the above cases won by the People of Obotie against the Ugbukurusu of Okpe, it is quite astonishing, but yet unimpressive that someone like Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his co Okpe Travelers, would wallow in the ocean of ignorance and self-oblivion by calling Obotie Community a Tenant to the Ugbukurusu People. Obotie Community has been in existence before the creation of the Reserve in 1933.

“The Okpe Sobo Forest Reserve like other Reserves in Nigeria, belongs to the Government, hence it is a kleptomaniac tendency for Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his people to lay claim of the Reserve.

“We are of the candid opinion that Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his likes need medical attention.

“It is also pertinent to note that Obotie was in Koko Local Council in the former Warri Division, until the 6th day of September, 1956, when it was moved into the Urhobo Western Division for administrative convenience. See Western Region of Nigeria Gazette of 6th September, 1956 (see the gazette)

“Secondly, Chief Onoriode Temiagin exhibited stentorian level of ignorance, when he tried to ascribed the 2.245 square miles cut out land to other Communities, including Obotie. It must be stated that the 2.245 square miles cut out land is the exclusive property of Obotie Community.

“The Native Administration Public Notice No. 3 of 1944 made pursuant to the Forestry Ordinance No. 38 of 1937, Obotie was excised from the Forest Reserve as shown in the 1st Schedule by the Government of the then Western Province of Nigeria and witnessed by 12 “Okakure” of Odogun of Okpe who were Representatives of the Okpe Sobo Native Authority, the size of Obotie Community land thereat was given as 2.245 square miles.

“The Delta State Government white paper on the report of the Judicial Panel of enquiry into the Okpe Sobo Forest Reserve and other ancillary matters relationship to the de reserved portion(s) and encroachment held in page 5, paragraph 6 . 4.2 where the panel established that several colonial instruments altered the size of the Reserve resulting in the excision of 2.245 SQ miles to Obotie Community. 

“Chief Onoriode Temiagin seems not to be in touch of reality when he made such statement as it relates to the 2.245 square miles cut out land that belongs legally to Obotie Community.

“Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his people inordinate narrations and unsubstantiated claims over the years will never translate to the ownership of Obotie Community, as it takes more to prove ownership of land(s) than raising forged and corrupted Documents in press briefings.

“Flowing from the above-mentioned incontrovertible facts and documentary evidence, the questions that begs for an answer are:

“Why didn’t Chief Onoriode Temiagin and the Okpe   People of Sapele tender those Documents at the Delta State Government   Judicial Panel of enquiry?

“Why did the Panel hold that the Sapele Okpe Community could not substantiate their claim of the ownership of the Okpe- Sobo Forest Reserve? 

“It is crystal clear that Okpe People of Sapele, including the Ugbukurusu People are hoping for a miracle that will never come (as Obotie People ‘s ownership of Obotie Community is already casted in alloy) this justifies the reason why the Ugbukurusu People of Okpe, have not been able to open their defense 14 years after Obotie Community closed her case in a trespass suit that was filed against Ugbukurusu People by Obotie people.

“Chief Onoriode Temiagin campaign of calumny and hate on Obotie Community will continue to come to naught as Obotie People in their righteous might, will continue to defend Obotie Community from all forms of Aggressors, aggressions, onslaught and invaders that the Sapele Okpe Community is planning to unleash on Obotie Community.

“It is against the background of the above-mentioned, that we implore Members of the Public to ignore the crass displays of shenanigans, chauvinistic attitudes, talking with both sides of their mouths, phantasmagoria displays of Ignorance, propagation of falsehood and other juvenile delinquencies that Chief Onoriode Temiagin and his People has found hobbies in.” 

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