… Demand Compensation
BEVERLY HILLS, August 11, (THEWILL) – Ijaws of Okpeleama community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta state have stated that they were not party to any of the litigations currently in court over the ownership of the $16bn Ogidigben Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project in Delta State.
The community said it had already submitted its claims of demands over the parcel of land acquired from the community for the proposed Export Processing Zone project.
The community, THEWILL learnt, had already written to the Delta State Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Patrick Ferife, about its preliminary compensation claims pending the outcome of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report.
The development came as several communities are said to be in court laying claims to the ownership of the land proposed for the multibillion dollar project.
Speaking to THEWILL on telephone, Chief Bello Oboko who has been pushing for the recognition of Okpeleama community as one of the host communities after the state government acquired part of their land for the project, said the Okpeleama community was never a party to any ownership suit in court.
According to him, having verified Okpeleama as host/stakeholder in the EPZ project, “we see no reason why we should obstruct consideration of Okpeleama demands by joining others in court.”
Oboko, who is the President of Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC), said Okpeleama community had submitted to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, through Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Asaba, its preliminary compensation claims July 22, 2014 pending the outcome of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report.
“Okpeleama Community is, so far, luckily not a party to any of the cases in court over the ownership of the EPZ project land,” Oboko said.
He however expressed worry that Okpeleama is not being considered to be part of bush clearing, land preparation and other works already completed on the project site.
While calling on Governor Uduaghan to heed the demands of the community, Oboko expressed confidence that the governor would promote spirit of “live and let’s live” and not be in business of ethnicising by enforcing court judgments wherein Okpeleama people were not parties or disputants.”
He urged the governor to ensure that the Okpeleama community is compensated to ameliorate the people suffering from huge humanitarian crisis following their displacement from their land for the EPZ project.
Oboko said the people had in obedience to government order, left their land for the project but are currently “not patronised with contracts, employment and empowerment schemes, despite the fact that the people of Okpeleama are languishing in excruciating pains over the development.”
