By joshua 
BY IKHILI EBALU, BENIN CITY
Residents of Amagba community in Oredo local government area of Edo State, yesterday, appealed to the state governor, Godwin Obaseki to pay compensations to owners of the land taking over by his government and not to the people of Oke-Oroma, a neighboring community, saying they are tenants in the land.
They made the passionate appeal during a protest march to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State council, Benin City.
The protesters flaunted placards of various inscriptions that read thus”Oke-Oroma is a fraud and Oke-Oroma does not exist”.
Addressing newsmen, spokesperson for the community, Thomas Oghadomwangbe, said the people claiming ownership of the land in the community are not the rightful owners but strangers who have come to settle there.
Oghadomwangbe further said that while they are not against the government taking part of their lands for developmental purposes, it should pay compensations to owners of the land to make up for their losses.
“This time around, we are surprised that a group of Urhobo, sorry to say, Ishans and non natives and scanty Benins are laying claims to the land.
“We are saying that Amagba is the rightful owner of that land known as Ago Eghaghe or Ago Emokpae.
“If the government wants to use the land, the government already has a reserved land in that place. We cannot tell the government not to use its own property but if it is going to takeover the whole land, then compensation should be paid to Amagba community not to tenants.
“Tenants cannot be collecting money for the house they did not build.
“The landlord will be there and the tenants will go on to collect tenancy, it is forbidden and we will not allow that and that is why we are protesting”, he said
Responding, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Edo State Council, Festus Alenkhe, charged the protesters to go about their protest in a peaceful manner and that they should not allow it to be hijacked by hoodlums. … Continue reading