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Land tussles : Obanyantor Elders Sue for Peace, call on aggrieved Community Members to Shield their Swords

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Land tussles : Obanyantor Elders Sue for Peace, call on aggrieved Community Members to Shield their Swords

Land tussles : Obanyantor Elders Sue for Peace, call on aggrieved Community Members to Shield their Swords

By Itohan Audrey & Issioma Egbunike

 

 

 

The People of Obayantor 1 Community of Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area, Edo State especially, those that stayed away from the community since 2020 has been called to come back home and join hands to promote peace and development that the community is known for in the past years.

 

Land tussles : Obanyantor Elders Sue for Peace, call on aggrieved Community Members to Shield their Swords

 

 

 

 

Elder Godwin Aghimien , the Ozukpogieha of Obayantor 1 stated this while debunking allegations of land grabbing and intimidation of residents made against security operatives in the community. He described the allegations as a figment of imaginations of some unscrupulous elements from the community.

Speaking , he painfully narrated the ordeals that had transpired in the last three years where the residents of Obayantor 1 Community in Ikpoba Okha local government area in Edo State took to their heels for safety of their lives over leadership tussles of who becomes the rightful Okaighele .

He explained that the crisis started when the late Odionwere, Pa Omorose Omoruyi passed on ,then the Elders met and directed the Youth to choose among themselves who they deem fit to take the position of Okaighele which eventually they presented one Osatohanwen Oduwa to the council of elders and the Enogie, Idu Akenzua including the past CDA Chairman, Kenneth Amadin who endorsed him publicly in the full glare of all and sundry in the community.

According to Elder Aghimien ,about 16 Youths led by Endurance Omorogie ,a.k.a Ajala came forward after seven months of installing Oduwa as the new Okaighele alleged against him that he sold 270 plots of lands to Prince Builders without the knowledge of the elders of Obayantor 1 Community.

The Elders in Council met and set up a committee that investigated the allegations leveled against the Okiaghele ,Osato Oduwa, and the committee came up with a report that revealed that the allegations were all fabricated, merely seeking to indict the integrity and personality of Oduwa in other to unrobed him of his title .

The committee further reported that the Community,not( Osato Oduwa )sold 150 plots of lands to Prince Builders and that the proceeds were paid into the bank account of Enogie, Idu Akenzua before his death.

Speaking further, he emphasized that having failed in a bid to indict Osato Oduwa in the sales of land without the knowledge of the Community, One Rollins Obazee and his alleged gang came forward to allege that the Enogie and the Elders of the community do not have the right to install the Okiaghele in Obayantor 1, adducing that the Youths have the right to install the Okiaghele .

These actions of theirs got the Elders piqued whereby they informed the Youths that is against the Bini tradition for Youths to install the Ohkaighele, he stressed that Youths can only present who they want to lead them to the elders which the Obanyantor 1 Elders believed that it has been done when they presented Osato Oduwa to the Enogie and all these happened during the End Sars period.

Again, Elder Aghimien stated that the same gang of Youths on their own brought another person called Endurance Omorogie aka, Ajala to be the Okiaghele, though his presentation was resisted and rejected by the elders after realizing that the alleged gang of Youths are up to some sinister activities.

According to him, the gangs forced one of the elders , Pa Iyamu Emokpa to install Endurance Omorogie as the Okaighele after chasing away the alleged recognized Okaighele ,Osato Oduwa that was installed by the Community and also further chased away the elders that resisted Endurance Omorogie’s installation from Obanyanto1.

While in their hide outs, the elders advised Osatohanmwen Oduwa to seek redress in the court of law which he did in the High Court of Justice,Benin City and was eventually declared the Okaighele of Obayantor 1 village in Ikpoba Okha Local Government by Hon. Justice A.N Erabor on the 24th of October, 2022.

According to Elder Aghimien, all through the period Endurance Omorogie served as Okaighele after chasing the elders and the alleged original Okaigele out of the community , alleged hoodlums and non indigenes were however hired to take over the community as Obayantor 1 eventually became known for kidnapping, arm robbery, gun racketeering and other criminal activities that attracted the DSS to investigate the community .

Going forward, other security agencies were also invited to work with the DSS as a team to quell the criminal activities and the leadership tussle in the community, which led to the increase of security checkpoints in the community to ensure law and order is restored.

As a result of the daily gun shooting from the hoodlums, there was a shot-out between Security Personnel and the hoodlums which eventually led to the death of one of the security operatives’ of which as at this Press Time, his corpse has not been found to be given to his family for proper burial.

Following the death of one of the Security Operatives, the presence of security check points increased in the community that scared away the Endurance Omorogie’s alleged gang from the community. Their exit from Obayantor 1, paved way for the coming back of the elders and the alleged original Okiaghele of the community.

Upon returning back to Obayantor 1, the elders realized that most of the lands that were sold by the community before the insurrection have also been resold by Endurance Omorogie a.k.a. Ajala and his team and as a result of the findings, the elders issued a press release through Radio and Televisions calling on those who bought lands in Obayantor 1 to come forward with adequate proofs of ownership and go through verification excercise to ascertain the rightful owners of the lands.

Ozukpogieha of Obayanto 1, Aghimien pleasantly appeal to all Sons and Daughters of Obayantor 1 to shield their swords and embrace peace because Peace is the fulcrum of development.

Meanwhile,it was gathered from our security sources who prefer to be anonymous that the Obayantor 1 Community was out-runned by alleged hoodlums who were involved in all manners of criminal activities that led the residents deserting or fleeing from the community.

According to our security source, the elders of the community invited the security operatives to increase the presence of their check points in the community in order to scare the hoodlums from carrying out their heinous activities. This has contributed to the fragile peace in the community where most of the indigenes that had ran away for safety of their lives when the community became a theater of war are gradually returning home to live their normal lives.

Further investigations have revealed that some members of the community that ran away due to the presence of security operatives are not comfortable with increase presence of security check points of security operatives in Obayantor 1, thereby seeking for ways security check points can be totally removed to aid them to further carry out their heinous activities,

Speaking with some members of the Obayentor 1 community, Mrs.Osariemein Eromosele, a farmer commended the presence of security check points in the community. According to her, the residents of the community can now go about their normal lives compare to as it were before the increase of the security check points .

“ In fact, I am happy that life is gradually becoming peaceful and normal compare to how it was before now. The Okaighele tussel has destroyed the peace we used to enjoy in Obayantor 1 and I am appealing to the security officers to ensure they sustained their check points here or otherwise,we the ordinary people will be forced to leave the community for hoodlums. I am also using this opportunity to appeal to our Royal Father, O’ OMO ‘NO ‘OBA, OBA EWUARE 11 to help us call Endurance Omorogie and his men to other to enable us have Peace again.” She said.

Another resident, Osazuwa Osaretien, a business man and a Farmer expressed happiness that Peace is gradually returning to Obayantor 1 due to increase security check points in the community, however he appealed to the warring factions to respect the Court Judgment issued in Favour of Osato Oduwa on the 24th of October 2022 and give peace a chance that will promote meaningful development in the community.

“ The Issue of Okiaghele tussel in our community is quite disheartening to me because during the period of this crisis, I almost lost all my family fortunes including my inherited lands from my forefathers. As I speak to you, they have sold my lands and I pray that I will recover them”.

Mrs Adesuwa Eghosa,a pretty trader also noted that it is time for fighting members of the community to respect the Court Judgment declaring Osato Oduwa as the authentic Okaighele of Obayantor 1 Community.

According to her, there is no point crying over a spilt milk as such would result to endless crisis which is not necessary for the wellbeing of the community generally. She further called on the elders of the community to call for a peaceful meeting where all the involved actors would be allowed to air their grievances and then resolve the crisis amicably.

Also speaking in the community, Osarobo Omorodion, a farmer appeals to the declared Okaighele, Osato Oduwa to work with the Elders closely and call Endurance Omorogie for a Peace Meeting to resolve the crisis and allow Peace to reign again in the community.

“We used to be in Peace in this Community until strangers started creating enmities among us, we can not continue like this, we need to go back to our old ways of living so that we can remain as a progressive front as we use to be in the past,” he said.

All efforts made to reach representative of Endurance Omorogie who alleged land grabbing by security personnel proved abortive as at Press time when contacted on mobile call.

” When we are ready, we will invite you because we don’t want hurry hurry story”

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Brace Foundation Gives Attention to Children with Special Needs

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Brace Foundation Gives Attention to Children with Special Needs

The Brace Foundation on Friday in Lagos organised a workshop to deepen the knowledge of those caring for children with special needs in one way or the other. The workshop was aimed at improving the lives of children with special needs.

 

At the event held at Lekki, the Chairman of Brace Foundation, Dr Gabriel Ogbechie, said that the workshop had become necessary to increase the level of awareness as regards care for children with special needs.
The workshop had in attendance no fewer than 1,200 participants drawn from public and private sectors attended the workshop. They include parents, guardians, educators, caregivers, health workers, therapists, legal experts, clergymen and members of the Red Cross Society.

Ogbechie said there was need to educate the society more about the peculiarities of people with special needs.
“They are still human beings who the society needs to accept for who they are.” “Growing up, I saw children with special needs. We didn’t understand what special needs were, and they were maltreated by the society. Education has made us to understand that what the children actually had were special needs and nothing else,” he said.

He regretted that children with special needs struggled with learning and many other things.“We have seen children with special needs struggle in school and the larger society, and we felt that it is a space we can bring in resources through this workshop. This will help these children to live a better life, integrate better into the society and live a fulfilled life,” he added.

The workshop discussed speech therapy, art of communication, special needs, and navigating behavioural challenge, among others issues.

Earlier, the Executive Director of Brace Foundation, Dr Soibi Hephzibah, said that the foundation focused on education of children with special needs. She noted that it involved behavioural and occupational education.
In her remarks, the Vice Chairperson of the foundation, Mrs Godrey Ogbechie, said that all children had needs but some required special needs due to one challenge or the other.

“We want to make it easier for them to have supportive mechanisms that will help them to strive. Even the ones we term normal have needs but they are just different,” she said.

The Head of Lagos Preparatory School, Ikoyi, Lagos, Mrs Dipa Horsfall, who was a participant at the workshop, advised parents of children with special needs to give them more attention.

Horsfall urged the federal and state governments to do more to improve healthcare services for children with special needs to discourage taking them abroad for healthcare

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Professor Fidelis Oditah is Wrong about the EFCC By Dele Oyewale

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Professor Fidelis Oditah is Wrong about the EFCC

By Dele Oyewale

Professor Fidelis Oditah’s recent interactive discussion on a wide range of issues on Arise News, are quite engaging. As a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and an international legal mind, his views on national issues cannot be disregarded. Benjamin Disraeli, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom once said, “with words we govern men”. Thus, Oditah’ s words are important and cannot be dismissed as empty effusion lacking weight or impact.

However, the learned Professor’s submission on what he called the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC’s three fundamental problems are, to say the least, prejudicial, unfounded and misleading. First, Oditah stated that “The EFCC is often being used for settling many scores. Some are political scores, some are social scores. So, you could run away from your girlfriend and the girlfriend goes to the EFCC and the EFCC could ask you questions(sic). What has that got to do with economic crimes? That is blatant abuse of power”(sic).

How on earth will this kind of a scenario painted by the learned silk hold water? The simplest argument against this kind of effusion is to challenge Oditah to provide proofs of such banality. We all know that this just an idle talk because the EFCC is a serious- minded law enforcement agency. The only worrisome aspect of such a talk is that it betrays an embarrassing lack of grasp of what the EFCC’s focus is.

This issue of appropriate and proper focusing of the mandate of the EFCC has been a central pivot of the three- pronged agenda of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede. In the full glare of the entire world, while addressing members of the National Assembly in October 2023, Olukoyede stated that the focus of every fight against corruption was to stimulate growth in the economy. For more than a year now, the EFCC’s boss has been consistently following this route. The review of the arrest and bail procedures of the EFCC is in line with this. Professor Oditah is probably busy with his works as a King’s Counsel in the United Kingdom and have no time to be abreast of development in the EFCC. Olukoyede is a lawyer of high pedigree and would not allow what the learned counsel called “ blatant abuse of power”.

The second “ fundamental problem of the EFCC”, according to Oditah is that “The EFCC has abandoned its mandate and reduce itself to a debt- collection agency, notwithstanding the numerous court decisions saying the EFCC must stay within the narrow confines of financial and economic crimes. The EFCC has gone out for debt recovery”. This submission, again, is hollow and vacuous. The EFCC’s Establishment Act does not empower the Commission to collect debt on behalf of anyone. The recovery the EFCC does is taking back proceeds of crime from fraudsters. Asset recovery, all over the world, is a fundamental law enforcement and anti- corruption initiative. As a matter of fact, it is the ground norm of every anti- corruption fight. To this end, Olukoyede in just one year, recovered  N248,750,049,365.52 (Two Hundred and Forty-Eight Billion, Seven Hundred and Fifty Million, Forty-Nine Thousand, Three Hundred and Sixty-Five Naira, Fifty-Two Kobo).

In foreign currencies,  recoveries of the Commission in the one year of Olukoyede’s leadership are: $105,423,190.39 (One Hundred and Five Million, Four Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, One Hundred and Ninety Dollars, Thirty-Nine Cents); £ 53,133.64 (Fifty-Three Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty-Three Pounds, Sixty-Four Pence; €172,547.10 (One Hundred and Seventy-Two Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty-Seven Euros, Ten Cents) and many others.

Going by the quantum of these recoveries, not to talk of real estate recovered all over the country, including shares acquired with proceeds of crime in blue- chip companies, it is simply preposterous to reduce and ridicule asset recoveries to debt recovery. Professor Oditah owes the EFCC and the entire nation unconditional apology in this regard. Just two days ago, a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos granted final forfeitures of over $2million and seven princely properties in choice areas of Lagos to the Federal Government. The assets are proceeds of crime traced to a former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN. Do such recoveries fall into the category of debt recovery insinuation of Oditah? President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently directed that N100billion be channeled to the funding of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation, CreditCorp, respectively from the monetary recoveries of the EFCC. Is the Professor aware of all these? It is evident that bringing down the issue of asset recovery to the ridiculous corridor of debt recovery is deliberate caricature of an important anti- corruption framework of the government. This is an initiative which local, regional and international agencies are commending Olukoyede and the EFCC about. It is to be noted also that the Director of FBI and the DG of National Crime Agency in the UK where he resides have paid cortesty visits to Olukoyede commending him on the feat he has attained in the fight against corruption and financial crimes and to seek more collaboration with the agency in their shared mandate of fighting corruption and financial crimes

The third issue Odikah raised against the EFCC, like the earlier issues, again, lacks any firm ground of substance. Hear him:
“The EFCC itself, a number of officers are more corrupt than those they are chasing. So, you remember what happened to Mr Bawa, Mr Matawalle, when Mr Matawalle finished his tenure as governor of Zamfara state and he said he was invited by Mr Bawa to bring $2million so as not to be investigated. The EFCC itself has become a corrupt organisation which needs to be completely disbanded and a new body set up . The EFCC has the resources. It does not have the ethics. The EFCC majors on minor issues, catching students and showing them as cyber criminals and so it says, it procured 1000 convictions and when you look at them they are people who have defrauded people of 20 or 22 dollars. That’s not the mandate. That’s the periphery. The central mandate is to ensure that the resources which are put in the hands of states are used by the states and that’s where the EFCC”

Going through all these trumped- up claims, it is obvious that Oditah has elected to totally launch unwarranted verbal war against the Commission and its officers. How many officers of the EFCC have been tainted with corruption allegations? Is it acceptable to use the “ sins” of very few elements in a community to paint and taint it as a community of sinners? It should be noted that there is no law enforcement agency in the world that is not vulnerable to corrupt officers. What is important is what the agency is doing to such elements. Olukoyede is known for his no- nonsense approach to ethical issues in the Commission. As a matter of fact, upon assumption of duties, he directed every officer of the Commission to declare their assets and ensure that verification of assets so declared is established. He went ahead to name the Department of Internal Affairs as Department of Ethics and Integrity. Beyond all these, some erring officers of the Commission have either been shown the way out or facing trial. In recent times, the Commission has had cause to dismiss some officers on allegations of corruption and gross misconduct. The EFCC is self- cleansing and the Commission deserves commendation for this.

It is worrisome that a Professor of the reputation and exposure of Oditah could dismiss the Commission’s onslaught against internet fraudsters as an unserious engagement. The damages this genre of fraudsters are causing the nation is untold. A crime that has a projection of $10.6trillion loss to the whole world in 2025 and Nigeria lost more than $500million in 2022 alone, is what Oditah derisively lampooned the EFCC about. We have cause to be worried that those who ought to know better are either playing the Ostrich or advertising their ignorance of a major malaise confronting the nation. Owing to the threat of cybercrimes to the development of our country, the EFCC has held two national dialogues on it. The recent one held few days ago at the Presidential Villa. The Professor should know that the EFCC mandate is to investigate all financial and economic crimes and no financial crime is small or big to be investigated in order to save the soul of the nation. It should be recalled that in recent times, the EFCC had had cause to prosecute and file charges against four ex- governors and some former ministers who were found culpable by EFCC’s investigation for looting state treasuries. This is just to confirm that the Commission is not scared of taking up large- scale fraud’s investigations and prosecution which we shall continue to do

There is no denying the fact that the respected professor goofed in all his comments about the EFCC and his views are not reflective of the realities on ground concerning the anti- corruption fight of the government.

On a final note, we enjoin professor Oditah to get himself familiar with the works of the Commission and lend his expertise and rich experience to the nation for a more robust and fully- integrated war against corruption. We also want to advise the fourth estate of the realm not to allow their platforms to be used to cast unfounded aspersions on the good works of the EFCC. The Commission is not averse to meaningful contributions and advise from well- meaning and reform- minded Nigerians to strengthen our processes and procedures as we continue this crusade,

*** Dele Oyewale is Head, Media & Publicity of the EFCC.

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Ijebu Man of The Year Awards: Prince Segun Kaka Set to be Honored for Outstanding Legislative Contributions*

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**Ijebu Man of The Year Awards: Prince Segun Kaka Set to be Honored for Outstanding Legislative Contributions*

 

In a grand celebration of excellence and leadership, the Ijebu Man of The Year Awards is poised to recognize exemplary individuals who have made significant contributions to the socio-political landscape of the Ijebu community. Among the distinguished awardees this year is Prince Segun Kaka, who will receive the prestigious award for his outstanding achievements in legislation.

The ceremony, organized by the National Globe, is scheduled to take place on November 10, 2024. This annual event has become a hallmark of recognition for individuals whose efforts have positively impacted the Ijebu community and beyond. This year, the awards ceremony promises to be a star-studded affair, showcasing the achievements of notable personalities who have dedicated their lives to public service.

Prince Segun Kaka, a prominent figure in local governance, has been recognized for his unwavering commitment to legislative excellence. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping policies that address the needs and aspirations of the Ijebu people. With a reputation for integrity and dedication, Kaka has worked tirelessly to advocate for the rights of his constituents, ensuring that their voices are heard in the corridors of power.

Joining Prince Kaka in this year’s celebration are other eminent personalities, including Chief Dr. Olatokunbo Olukoua, Hon. Amos Oyebannjo Olusegun, Prince Dr. Adesegun Adelaja Adeniyi Adenuga, and Otunba Olajide Adenuga. Together, these distinguished individuals embody the spirit of leadership and service, making significant strides in various fields including education, healthcare, and community development.

The National Globe has emphasized that the awards aim not only to honor individual achievements but also to inspire the younger generation to engage in public service. “We believe that recognizing these outstanding individuals will encourage others to follow in their footsteps and make a difference in their communities,” stated a spokesperson for the organization.

As anticipation builds for the event, the local community is excited to celebrate the accomplishments of these remarkable individuals. The Ijebu Man of The Year Awards not only serve as a platform for recognition but also foster a sense of unity and pride among the people of Ijebu.

Tickets for the event are expected to sell quickly, as many wish to witness this celebration of excellence firsthand. With an impressive lineup of awardees and a commitment to highlighting the importance of community service, the Ijebu Man of The Year Awards is set to be an unforgettable occasion.

As the date approaches, the spotlight will undoubtedly shine brightly on Prince Segun Kaka and his fellow awardees, celebrating their invaluable contributions to the Ijebu community and inspiring future generations to strive for greatness in public service.

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