From Kenechukwu Obiajuru, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Government has resolved a festering land dispute between Ofoni and Lalagbene communities with a call on both parties to resume and strengthen their longstanding cordial relationship.
The government also restated its position that no community in the state should sign any kind of memorandum of understanding without making recourse to the office of the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Peter Akpe, stated this at a meeting with representatives of Ofoni and Lalagbene communities as well as Renaissance African Energy Company Limited in Government House, Yenagoa, on Tuesday.
Dr Akpe, urged communities to always channel their grievances to appropriate government agencies for settlement, rather than engage in actions capable of causing hostilities and destruction of lives and property.
He stressed the need for government’s guidance in the drafting and signing of MoUs to forestall short-changing of communities and unnecessary communal conflicts in the future.
According to him, most disputes between communities emanated from MoUs and stressed the need for people to be properly guided with facts and the right information to avoid unnecessary conflicts and divisions.
On the Ofoni-Lalagbene conflict, the Deputy Governor said available evidence clearly indicates that the parcel of land where the the Renaissance Company, former SPDC’s Location 2 is sited, belongs to Lalagbene Community.
Calling on both communities to maintain their cordiality, Dr Akpe, however, urged the Renaissance Africa Energy Company to accord Ofoni Community its rights and benefits as the landlords of Location One in Iseni Oilfield.
His words: “Go and beef up your relationship with Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited. The people of Ofoni and Lalagbene communities taking up arms against yourselves will not solve the problems.
“Government has said that no MoU must be signed except with the involvement of government officials. Most community problems stem from MoUs that they have signed with companies without the knowledge of government. So go back and tell your people that there is no need to fight.”
In their presentation, the General Manager, Community and Government Relations, Renaissance, Mr Evans Krukrubo and its Land Adviser, Mr Ojie Amejayo, clarified that Location One was acquired in 1972 from Ofoni in Sagbama Local Government Area, while Location Two was acquired in 1973 from Lalagbene Community in Ekeremor LGA
In their separate closing remarks, representatives of Ofoni Community including Dr O. O. Osusu, Sir Jacob Akpane, and that of Lalagbene, Dr Abraham Ebakpa and Mr Lenin Koko, all expressed appreciation to the state government for its timely intervention and accepted to abide by the truce reached at the meeting.
