Honour The Peace Agreement You Entered With Okomu - Iyas

Honour The Peace Agreement You Entered With Okomu - Iyase of Udo

The Iyase of Udo, Chief Patrick Igbinidu, has urged the people of Marioghioba community, Ovia South West local government area of Edo, to always honour its agreement with Okomu Oil Palm Company Ltd.

The Iyase also urged the community to avoid unnecessary aggression against the company which could be construed as breach of their peace agreement.

He said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin while reaction to Wednesday’s attack on the company by the community.

In the incident where the community was protesting the constitution of a vigilance group by the company it allegedly damaged the company’s excavator.

Igbinidu said that such skirmish was avoidable through further dialogue between the parties.

NAN recalls that the Iyase had in May convened a peace meeting between Imaroghioba community and Okomu oil palm company when crisis erupted between the parties.

Members of the community had then demonstrated to protest the trenches dug by the oil company around its plantation.

The company had claimed that it dug the trenches in a portion of land belonging to it to stop the incessant thefts of its oil palm fruits.

However, members of the community said the action was an infringement on their rights of passage and an oppressive tendency by the company.

The misunderstanding was however, resolved through a peace meeting convened by the Iyase of Udo, who oversees communities within the locality, including Okomu and Imaroghioba.

The meeting had representatives of the security agencies and other stakeholders in  attendance.

Part of the resolutions of the peace agreement was that the digging of the trenches should continue.

Another was that the company should assist the community to create alternative road in areas where the trenches were seen as obstruction of the road as claimed by the community.

It was also resolved that there should be a neighborhood security watch to help both the company and the community.

Okomu oil company Communications Officer, Mr Fidelis Olise, told NAN in Benin on Thursday that the community’s attack on its facility was without provocation.

According to him, the damaged excavator was mobilized to create access road to the community being an aspect of the resolution it reached with the people of the community at the peace meeting.

The Iyase, who confirmed the attack to NAN, said, “I have spoken to the acting Odionwere of Imaroghioba community, Chief Gabriel Ikhuolegbe, to find out what happened.

“Although the acting Odionwere confirmed the incident he, however, denied that any of the community members was responsible for the damage.

“I have advised him to call his people to order while I am also in liaison with the Iguobazuwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to see that incident does not escalate,” he said.

Contacted, the acting Odionwere, who also confirmed the incident to NAN, however, attributed the new disagreement to the manner the constitution of the vigilance group was handled by the company.

He said the vigilance group was dominated by members of a particular tribe, whom he alleged had issues to grind with the youth of the community.

“Most of these people do not have good records in the community; and now they have been recruited as members of the vigilance group.

“They want to use them to oppress our people while they are guarding Okomu oil company personnel.

“This action is not acceptable to our people, hence, the resistance,” he said.

Also contacted, DPO Ade, in a telephone conversation confirmed to NAN that he was briefed on the incident but said, “I am right now in a meeting trying to resolve another matter.”

NAN reports that Okomu oil company, with headquarter in  Okomu, Ovia South West Local Government Area, is bound by 29 host communities across three local government areas of Edo: Ovia North East, Uhunmwonde and Ovia South West.( NAN)