Edo State Government Marks River Orle as the Boundary between Auchi, Warrake, Ibviaro

Edo State Government Marks River Orle as the Boundary between Auchi, Warrake, Ibviaro _Mallam Amadiya

By: Jeremiah Enaholo Kadiri

jeremiahkadiri@gmail.com

Edo state government has been reported to have marked the popular Orle River as the boundary between Auchi Sacred Kingdom of Etsako West Local Government Area and the Warrake and Ivbiaro(Iyaro) communities in Owan East Local Government Area following the issue of a prolonged tussle over the expansive Osa farmland.

Alhaji Abdullah O. Muhammed, who is popularly known as Mallam Amadiya made this revelation in the course of an on-air live radio show “Itsemhakhorna” on Hill Side 94.1fm on Thursday. He reported that following the fracas over land dispute between Auchi and her neigbours in Owan East, the State Government has in a meeting between stakeholders from all the concerned communities, declared that the lands extending from after Orle River now belongs to Warrake and Iyaro respectively.

AUCHI BLOGSPOT later visited Mallam Amadiya at his residence in Hausa Quarter to enquire the activities that may have prompted the state government to take the decision.

He stated that it all began when the federal government through the Central Bank of Nigeria decided to fund agricultural activities as means of diversifying the economy away from oil.

“…the Federal government decided to release 5billion Naira to each state in the south. Edo state benefitted from this. When the money came, Obaseki said that though, the monies were for the farmers, they will be disbursed as loans and the state will help clear the allocated lands where the farmers will work for a period of 2years before paying back. They started looking for land owners. They came here (Auchi)…and the Otaru of Auchi made available 500hectares, the Osa farmland… having concluded plans between the federal and state government, the next step was the scouting for off-takers _companies who would purchase products of the farmers at the end of each farming season. This happened in 2015 and not until 2018 was an off-taker found in Elephant Group Plc. who was ready to buy all the cassava that would be produced. They entered into an MoU with the state government and CBN after which the issue of aggregating farmers into the programme came up and that was when farmers from the Ozemoya Cooperative Society were taken to represent Edo North in the scheme…”

He stated that though the programme started with some deforestation activities by the contractor, Ere Egwa Farms and Processing Company Limited, angry indigenes of Auchi extraction who felt aggrieved by the work on their farmland attacked the contractor’s staff and protested the activity. Consequently, the company having cleared about 40.8hectares withdrew from the work to avoid further attacks on its staff and machinery.

“Elephant Group Plc later contracted the work to RA & OA who later came in to continue the job with the help of Soldiers from Agenebode who were delegated by the state government to provide security for the new contractor. The protesters later went to the palace of the Otaru of Auchi to demand for compensation for the farmlands which were cleared by the programme contractor…here the Otaru made it clear to them that the said land is being prepared by the state government for the good of the people.”

When asked if the protest was as a result of improper communication of information to the land owners in Osa farm, Mallam Amadiya said that information was well communicated to everyone about the project to the extent that same farmers where incorporated into the programme for smooth running (a claim many have refuted).

He reported that though the Otaru had allayed the fears of the protesters and asked that they should be incorporated into the scheme, the protesters resorted to making mockery of the whole scheme and that’s when leaders of the Warrake and Iyaro communities decided to take up the matter of the land with claims that the area is theirs contrary to the old boundary commission report between Owan East and Etsako west. They started arresting workers of the new contractor which were later released by the DPO of Afuze who later informed all parties involved in the land dispute that there would be a meeting in the Government House in Benin the state capital on Monday.

“the message was communicated to the Otaru In Council on Sunday… He delegated Alh. Yusuf Sule the Daudu of Aibotse, the Daudu of Aimanesi Village and myself to represent Auchi in Benin where we met all the representatives of Warrake and Iyaro who had held a meeting with the Deputy governor, Phillip Shaibu before our arrival. The meeting during our arrival wasn’t much of a meeting but a forum for an announcement of a decision that has been reached because we were allowed to air our views on the matter there at the deputy governor’s office. The gathering was presided over by the SSG and not Philip Shaibu.

I referred to the white paper stating that the popular knowledge of the Auchi people is that the boundary between Auchi and Owan East is at Mile 5 and that same boundary has not been approached or reached in the course of this project, the Secretary to the State Government declared to my greatest shock that Orle river is now the border between Auchi in Etsako West and both Iyaro and Warrake in Owan East local government area. Even when the Daudu of Aibotse stood up to state that traditionally the boundary is at mile5 and that Owan which is relatively a newly created local government area met this boundary which was created in 1942 for which a white paper was released in 1954 spelling boundaries between Auchi and her neighbours… he was asked to leave the issue as the deed as been done and the state government has laid its verdict on the boundary issue. We were told that the map had already been done and Orle is now the boundary.”

He further said that the SSG directed that the police should arrest any Auchi indigenes who still engage in farming activities in the area should be arrested but the DPO of Auchi Divisional Headquarters stated that it would be wrong for the men of the police to engage in such operation as the order has not come from the CP. After reviewing the response of the DPO, they later resolved that people should be allowed to farm but must not plant economic trees or erect structures in the land.

“the SSG again disclosed that the issue about the land dispute is forthwith resolved and that the Local Government Chairmen of Etsako West and Owan East, who where also in attendance had agreed. I was surprised that our chairman didn’t say anything about the matter.

From the discussions that ensued therein, it seem like they are trying to annex Agharuma to Uzairue, Nikohol to Imeke and the NNPC area to Aviele.”

“we have briefed the Otaru about the outcome of the meeting and have also suggested the option of  litigation so that the matter can be taken to court for proper handling to avoid a clash or violent protest that could draw blood.” He concluded.

However, there have been mixed reactions over the recent development as many have attributed the issue to the current political weather of the state as a result of the fracas between the state government of Godwin Obaseki and the former comrade governor Adams Oshiomhole. A source who does not wish to be mentioned stated that, “Phillip Shaibu, who is also the Chairman, Edo state Boundary Committee is angry with the fact that the people of Auchi allowed Oshiomhole to hold his rally in the area despite the state government’s ban on political activities in the state. Given that he is charge of boundary issues, he is using this medium to seek revenge on the people of Auchi.”

While Auchi Blogspot  continues to follow up on the development, we hope that the leadership of Auchi Sacred Kingdom will take the path that will lead to a peaceful resolution, resort to a win-win situation for all and not lead to bloodshed.