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You Are Waging War Against Our Land, Ogonis Accuse Amaechi
By Chris Konkwo
The people of Okwale, Luebe, Lorre and Wiikue Lueku communities
all in Khana Local Government Area and land owners in
collaboration with the Africa Community Development Network, a
non-governmental organization have accused Governor Chibuike
Amaechi of waging economic war on their land with no other
intention but to phase them out of existence.
Bemoaning their misfortune in a statement issued on behalf of
the people and signed by Engr Bariledum Famaa, co-ordinator for
the Africa Community Development Network, the people said Gov
Amaechi's use of armed military men for the forceful acquisition
of their land is re-echoing the 1994 genocide against the Ogonis
and must not be allowed to succeed.
According to the people, they woke up recently only to be
confronted with the intimidating presence of gun trotting armed
soldiers with a team of surveyors arbitrarily surveying their
land and destroying their economic crops.
The soldiers the people claimed, acted on the orders of Governor
Amaechi.
Arguing that there could be no other reason other than to
exterminate their communities by tampering with their only
source of livelihood, the Nyo-Khana communities said not even up
to 10% of their people are engaged in company or government jobs
and expressed regret that government is so insensitive to their
plight.
They were however quick to remind Governor Amaechi that already
they have paid their dues by donating a large chunk of their
arable land to government in the past with no compensation or
grains in whatever forms, not even a Memorandum of
Understanding.
The lands previously donated to the State government according
to them include School to Land, Bori by Kor Community, School to
Land Kpaa, 300 hectares of land to Risonpalm by Okwale, all in
Nyo-Khana land.
All they gained from all this particularly Risonpalm was the
untimely death of three of their youths on accusation of
unauthorized entry into the farms that pitched them against the
officials of Risonpalm.
The angered Ogoni communities recalled that same Amaechi
administration discussed with land owners and paid compensation
before acquiring land for the Greater Port Harcourt City as well
as paid compensations for all demolitions to make room for
various road constructions elsewhere in the state other than
their land.
They recalled Governor Amaechi informing the Ogbakor Ikwerre
Convention December 26, 2011 of its plan to acquire some 10,000
hectares of their land for rice farming, and promising that
before that is done, due compensations would be paid.
The Ogonis therefore urged Governor Amaechi to urgently order
for the immediate withdrawal of the armed soldiers and stop
forthwith, the forceful acquisition of their farmland, warning
that they are ready to sacrifice the last drop of their blood to
retain their land.
Those put on notice of their determination to stop any
unwarranted invasion of their land include the presidency, MOSOP,
the United Nations, the American Government and the Human Rights
Activists etc.
Also demanded from the accused Rivers State government is
compensation of N5 billion for the destruction of their economic
crops.###
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