Our attention has 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 our character to glorify crass display of ignorance, hogwash, inordinate narrations and unrepentant attitude of lies peddling that were ignobly displayed by Cief 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 ear 1925 by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Muwunum vs Achydoma in suit No MW/452/53 BETWEEN  Jewiragba& Co vs Jonomi. The court further ticked the judicial scale in favour of Obotie people as it concerns the ownership of Obotie Community.

More recently, the Government white paper on the report of 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 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.

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 melted 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 surprised that the Sapele Okpe Community resorts to cheap, blackmail, vituperations, names calling and attack just to disrupt the peaceful resolution process that culminated to the inspection/assessment/visits to affected areas. Representatives of the Sapele Okpe Community, Ugbukurusu and SEPLAT were seen in boat during the visitation that was conducted by 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 is no justifiable reasons to make such calls. The question that begs for an answer is whether Obotie Community is within the 5 (kilometres radius to the exploration area as stipulated by the Petroleum Industry Act?

The Special Adviser to the governor has 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 Chief Onoriode Temiagin and is likes.

Another question that begs for an answer is how did Chief Onoriode Temiagin  and his like become spokespersons for SEPLAT that warrants to make submission for SEPLAT? Again, these exhibit 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. Chief Onoriode Temiagin subtle threat of war is not new to us as Obotie Community has been a victim of a collective onslaught and aggressions that were poured on our community by premeditated and combined forces of the entire Sapele Okpe Community. Obotie Community survived it and we will continue to defend Obotie Community with legal means within the ambit of the law.

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 laying claims to living baby as posted 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 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 defect to 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 some lacks substance and truth hence they should be fizzled into the thin air.

Thank you all.

Signed

Pa Simeon Brikinn

Chairman, Obotie Elders Council

Pa Peter Ogholaja

Vice Chairman, Obotie Elders Council

Mr George Facah

Secretary, Obotie Elders Council

Engr. Samuel Atiwe

Chairman Obotie Management Council

Hon Godwin Fanemigho

Secretary Obotie Management Council