By Paulson Okobiebi

The Ogbe-Ijoh’s land grabbing across Aladja reminds one of the way the Ijaw are equally extending their landmass in the states of the South-South and the South-West.

This land grabbing by Ogbe-Ijoh in Aladja, Udu Local Govt Area of Delta State is one that is becoming too worrisome and must be addressed before the Ogbe-Ijoh lays claim to the entire Aladja community. But that plan will fail ultimately.

Aladja is predominantly agrarian and occupies a very large expanse of land upon which the indigenes’ farm cash crops such as rubber, palm, coconut and cassava.

Ogbe-Ijoh natives in contrast are fish farmers and like all Ijaw dwell near the creeks and by so doing, Ogbe-Ijoh has occupied part of Aladja and for decades the natives have been claiming that they own the landmass they are laying claim to. Whereas their original fathers who were fishermen were allowed to occupy certain part of Aladja because of inter- marriages, trade alliances and mutual love as well as understanding, the same land that was left for them to inhabit has not only become an issue, it has led to the untimely death of many Aladja people.

To equally say that it has led to the total destruction of our rubber trees, palm trees, coconut trees and other fruit trees is an understatement. To make matter worse, Ogbe-Ijoh, in a bid to erase our ownership of the land, continues to attack our people but we know that their plan to wipe us from our fatherland shall not stand. In fact, their armed attack on our people and our properties, no matter how many, are destined to fail. You know why? Even trees and grasses of the land shall rise up against them. Besides, there is a God of justice to whom we shall all face one day no matter our prowess in any weaponry and divinity.

Let me at this point also state that the Ogbe-Ijoh’s claim, based on the western regional map of divisions, with the obnoxious ‘Jackson Line’, is the cause of so many conflagrations between the Urhobo and Itsekiri in the not too distant past.

It is an open secret that the western regional map, with the arbitrary ‘Jackson Line’ as boundary between then-western Urhobo and Warri Divisions, was purposely made to punish the Urhobo for throwing their weight behind the NCNC. The intention was to profit the Itsekiri for their support of the Action Group. The rest is now history though but how else could one fathom the disregard of obvious natural features (rivers) as boundary?

What is at stake here is traditional boundaries which is largely dependent on the culture, the way of life of a people, and not some arbitrarily drawn line by persons who knew next to nothing about the people and the area in question. Who amongst us was a party to the map of 1955 and the so-called ‘Jackson Line’?

The ownership of land cannot be based on such imaginary lines. Indeed, current local government areas’ boundaries which emanated from such imaginary lines are faulty and defective. Such boundaries are tentative and considered as work in progress. Disputes arising from such boundary problems are settled by the determination and delineation of the traditional boundaries and adjustments of the local government areas’ boundaries to coincide with the traditional, especially in cases like this one where the peoples affected belong to different ethnic groups.

This was the core of the terms of reference of the Prof. Abednego Ekoko panel of inquiry. The claim by Ogbe-Ijoh of straight lines as traditional boundaries between it and Aladja, in the Abednego Ekoko panel of inquiry is telling enough.

It must be stated that the plot of Ogbe-Ijoh to truncate the on-going government endeavour to achieve peace will be resisted. The slow movement of a tiger is not an indication of weakness.

Aladja supported those who berthed the subsequent Aladja/ Ogbe-Ijoh Peace Vanguard and the politically exposed persons and social media influencers that came on board to give it the necessary fillip because we believe in the peace initiative.

In fact, the peace initiative was the precursor of the Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh local boundary demarcation committee, an effort by the two local councils in conjunction with the communities to lay the crisis to rest.

The relative peace and minimal person to person interactions from both sides of the divide were the dividends of this initiative.

However, these positive moves, particularly the

three panels inquiry by government to address this boundary issue in addition to the subsisting local boundary demarcation committee of government that have been addressing the boundary issue between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh for about three decades now, are under threat today as it has always been with every peace initiative, by the action of Ogbe-Ijoh.

It is imperative to recall that the majority report of the Ekoko panel of inquiry was rejected by Ogbe-Ijoh. Ogbe-Ijoh representatives in the Ekoko panel came out with an offensive minority report which was discountenanced by government. The implementation of the exco’s resolutions on the report was frustrated by Ogbe-Ijoh using what they know how to do best.

This much was exposed at a meeting held at the office of the then Secretary to the State Government, Hon Ovie Agas. At that meeting, the then Surveyor General of the state feigned ignorance of the existence of two reports and exco’s resolutions. He amazingly declared that he was directed to implement the minority report endorsed by no other than the Ogbe-Ijoh reps on the panel to the consternation of all present. What a conspiracy from a man in the highest echelon of the state civil service. I do not recall any sanction or query over that official misconduct by the equivalent of a Permanent Secretary. But that is a matter for another day. It is clear who he was working for.

Ogbe-Ijoh is now also working tirelessly to truncate the efforts of the Local Boundary Demarcation Committee. How else does one explain the resort to the law courts and incessant armed attacks on Aladja.

Government reticence on these matters is no longer golden. In fact, no responsible government will allow such a thing to happen especially in a clear case as this. But we as responsible citizens are watching with keen interest.

Has Ogbe-Ijoh forgotten so soon the position of the boundary proposed by Topcorn in 1997? In fact Ogbe-Ijoh should apologise and appreciate Aladja for agreeing to demarcate and give a substantial portion of what belongs to Aladja to Ogbe-Ijoh in an effort to allow brotherly love to reign more so that we have allowed them live with us for centuries.

If the Ogbe-Ijoh people fail to intimately appreciate the kindness of the Aladja people, then we shall soon let the whole world know that this unwarranted bellicose may lead to Ogbe-Ijoh community losing it all in the not too distant future.

A word for the wise is enough.

• Okobiebi, an engineer, is an indigene of Aladja