LETTER OF DISCORD : Hold Hon. Hope O Ikiriko Responsible If…..

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Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko is the Executive chairman of Ahoada West local government Council. As the chairman, one of his primary responsibility, is to ensure a peaceful co existence of the 68 communities that makes up Ahoada West local government Area.

Hon. (Evang) Hope O Ikiriko is also an Evangelist of the word of God, which is Truth, Fairness and Peace. By his calling (evangelist), and the political office he occupies, hon. Hope Ikiriko is obligated, not only to seek peace, but to seen to seek peace in all his conducts and speeches.

The people of Odieke -Ugbobi community in Ekpeye and the people of Okarki, Okparaki, Ikodi, and Kunusha communities in Engenni, all in Ahoada West local government Area, have lived and co existed peacefully along the Engenni (Orashi) River for as long as they have lived in their respective locations.

While the Engenni communities live at the right side, the Ekpeye communities such as Odieke, Odiopiti, and Odireke live at the left side of the bank of the Engenni (Orashi) River. Both the Ekpeye and Engenni communities have farm land across the River and opposite where they live. These communities have lived in this manner and state for as long as history would remember, and long before the British creation of the Ahoada Division. The elders in both the Ekpeye and Engenni communities knows the ancient boundary between Ekpeye and Engenni across both sides of the River.

I still recollect several incidents that took place when I was a child, growing up. Some miscreants from Odieke community would cross the ancient boundary to fish in lakes and ponds belonging to persons from Ikodi, my community, and young men and from my community would cross the River, locate, arrest and bring them to the village square, then, to the palace of the Okilom Akie (Community head).

The Okilom Akie, after interrogating the trespasser, would send someone to the Eze Nwula (community head) of Odieke, informing him of the crime and arrest of his subjects. The Eze Nwula would in response, send some chiefs to my community for settlements and release of the suspect. Settlements at that time, was payment of certain amount as compensation. This was the practice and it happened frequently.

Now, Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko claims to be in possession of a petition from Odieke -Ugbobi community of Ekpeye, asking him, the Council chairman, to resolve boundary dispute between Ekpeye and Engenni group of Ahoada West local government Area, and in resolving the boundary dispute, it did not occur to the Council chairman and Chief security officer of the local government Area, invite the parties in dispute and hear from both sides. Hon. Ikiriko, in further manifest of his hatred for the Engenni people, rather, used the letter headed paper of the Council and wrote to Shell Petroleum Development Company LTD. (see attached copy) asserting that ‘”the Engenni (Orashi) River is the natural boundary between the Ekpeye and Engenni group, and that SPDC should pay all compensation in respect to the Shell gas line phase III, Enwhe -Gbaran Gas project to Odieke -Ugbobi community ” . Hon Ikiriko went further to attach a map which he said, is the map of Ahoada West local government Area, “showing the Engenni (Orashi) River as natural boundary. Consequent upon that letter, the Odieke -Ugbobi community are in court with Shell, claiming ownership of the portion of land.

The consequences of all these, we all know, is a preventable clash between some communities in Engenni and Ekpeye. When this happens, Hon. (Evang.) Hope O Ikiriko should be held responsible and any blood spilled shall be upon his head.

My research at the archives in Enugu shows Hon. Ikiriko’s deficiency in his hurriedly taken position.

The intelligent report by the British, dated 1931,(see attached). The attached extract shows clearly that ” with the exception of Edagberi, which is on the Taylor Creek, the Engenni villages are all on the right bank of the Orashi (or Engenni) River. They are spread over a distance of approximately 42 miles, and owns about 120 square miles of land, of which only about 20 square miles is on the left bank of the River”.