The Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic groups that fought a fratricidal war in Delta State in the 90s could be set for a fresh showdown over the ownership of Ogbe-Ijoh, whihc ironically is the headquarters of Warri South West LGA..... below is a stern warning from the Ogbe-Ijoh people
The attention of the Ogbe-Ijoh Clan Governing Council has been drawn to a publication in the Daily Independent Newspaper of 5th August, 2008 with the above caption and the " The Nation" Newspaper of 7th August, 2008 with the caption " Delta Communities Fight Over Land".
In the said publication, the Aladja Community through its Chairman, Mr Bright Gbada referred to the Ogbe-Ijoh people as ungrateful tenants and that the Headquarters of Warri South-West Local Government Area which is in Ogbe-Ijoh Town is in their land.
The publication is not only misleading and provocative, but it is also subjudice (sic) in that the Aladja people are already in Court with the Ogbe-Ijoh people and also the publication is capable of igniting another round of crisis between the two Communities.
Ordinarily, the Ogbe-Ijoh people would not have joined issues with the Aladja Community, however, because of the misleading nature of the publication and for the public not to take our silence as admission of the assertions of the Aladja Community, we wish to react as follows in order to set the records straight :
1. That the Ogbe-Ijoh people are not tenants to the Aladja people not to talk of being ungrateful tenants. On the contrary, the Aladja people are customary tenants to the Ogbe-Ijoh people, hence they are called Ogbe-Sobo ( Ogbe-Biyou ), a name given to them by the Ogbe-Ijoh people from time immemorial. This fact is clearly stated in their own Udu / Aladja Intelligence Report.
2. That to justify the fact that the Aladja people are customary tenants to the Ogbe-Ijoh people, after they were permitted by Ogbe-Ijoh people to settle at Aladja ( formerly Tambiri ) they bear the name " Ogbe-Sobo" meaning Ogbe-Ijoh Urhobo people until the 1940's. It was the Ogbe-Sobo name that they bore when they had a land case with Isaba Community in 1934 in suit number B / 10 / 1934 between Aya for himself and on behalf of Ogbe-Sobo and Okoro and, Donokoromo for and on behalf of Isaba Communoty, a case the Aladja people lost.
3. Also during the colonial administration in 1952, the Western Region Government established the boundary lines between Ogbe-Ijoh and Aladja when it created the Warri and Urhobo Divisions. Ogbe-Ijoh and it farmlands was placed in Warri Division why Aladja was placed in Urhobo Division and this is still maintained till date by virtue of the boundary between Warri South-West Local Governemt Area and Udu Local Government Area. For the avoidance of doubt, Ogbe-Ijoh Town is in Warri South-West Local Government Area while Aladja is in Udu Local Government Area.
Consequently, we wish to call on the Delta State Government and the Law Enforcement Agents to call the Aladja leadership and the Aladja Community to order in the interest of peace and to stop the persistent harassments of Ogbe-Ijoh indigenes and visitors to Ogbe-Ijoh who are passing through Aladja Community to Ogbe-Ijoh especially property developers.
SIGNED FOR AND ON BEHALF OF OGBE-IJOH CLAN GOVERNING COUNCIL :
MR SAMSON OYIMI
Chairman
MR CLEMENT TEKEDOR
Secretary-General
