Okoson Community Slams Green Energy, Lekoil Over Ancestral land Desecration

Stakeholders in Okoson Community, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State have berated the management of Green Energy International Limited and Lekoil Nigeria Limited over continuous desecration of their ancestral lands.

The stakeholders also called on the Rivers State Government to caution the companies against continuous desecration of the sacred forest.

They particularly urged the government to caution the companies over the continuos exhumation of corpses already buried in the area as well as the destruction of the sacred forest.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt.

The statement, jointly signed by High Chief Unyeawaji Adaibo and Mr Robert Silas Ngere, also rejected the claims of ownership of the area by some indigenes of both Ayama and Oka Ama Ekede Communities, describing the claims as frivolous, false, malicious and unsupported by historical and judicial records, and urging the public to disregard it.

According to the statement, “the historical existence of Okoson Community cannot be erased or altered by recent claims by the people of Ekede. The community has existed as a distinct settlement within Andoni Local Government Area with recognized communal rights.”

They maintained that the existence of Okoson as a Community with all communal rights was judiciously stamped by the decision of the High Court in suit number PHC/1729/2007 between Chief Jeremiah Ogbilikan and 16 others versus Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and two others of which Chief Gad Harry was the second defendant.

The stakeholders emphasized that the suit has not been appealed.

They also explained that Okoson Community is a cemetery where departed loved ones are buried, warning that any attempt to forcefully cede part of Okoson Community to green Energy and Lekoil companies will be resisted.

According to them, the judgement of the Supreme Court does not have any Nexus or relationship with the ancestral ownership of the Okoson Community Land.

They said that as law-abiding citizens, they would use legal means against any attempt by Green Energy and Lekoil to forcefully take over their ancestral land.

They added that the daily destruction of their economic trees and exhumation of dead bodies allegedly co-sponsored by Green Energy and Lekoil under the promptings and direction of Chief Gad Harry is an invitation to avoidable native war.

The statement stressed that no Okoson Community member would fold his or her hands and watch the bones of their already buried forebears and departed loved ones to be exhumed by anyone or group of people.

They explained further that the Supreme Court in SC/54/2012- never made any declaration that Ekede Community is the owner of the Okoson Ancestral Land.

According to them, Ekede was neither a party in the suit as the subject of dispute was between Ngere family and Uwuile family over the chieftaincy of Ngo, recognized by Rivers State Government and Okaan-Ama which the Supreme Court affirmed in page 70 of the said judgment that the Ngere family of Ngo Town is the rightful family to produce the Village Head of Ngo Classified as CHIEFTAINCY OF NGO, 2ND CLASS recognized by the Rivers State Government.

The statement called on the Rivers State Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, the State Commissioner of Police and relevant security agencies to caution Green Energy International Limited, Lekoil Nigeria Limited and Chief Gad Harry to desist from further destruction and exhumation of their deceased loved ones.

By: John Bibor