Tipper Drivers Association in Edo state has given the Chief Priest of Okhuoromi community in Oredo Local Government Area of the the state, Ovbokhan Igbinovia, seven days ultimatum to return landed properties bought by its members and individuals.
While briefing newsmen at the association head office on Monday in Benin City, the state capital, chairman of the association, Comrade Austin Uhunmwangho said if the state government, Oba of Benin and concern authorities fail to prevail on the Chief Priest to return landed properties the association will be left with no choice than to withdraw it’s services across the state.
He said, “The Chief Priest collected my land including that of my members, he destroyed our buildings. Buildings that was up to roofing level, all went down the drain, just like that”.
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“We are not the only victim of this whole evil act, you can see some other persons here. We have taken it upon ourselves to liberate others even while we fight for our rights.
“What we want is our land, we don’t want any other thing. Our members land and all the victims of circumstances, their properties must be returned back to them.” (sic)
“We have gotten over fifty petitions with evidences of houses that have been demolished. The state government and the Benin palace should intervene. We are giving the Chief Priest seven days ultimatum or declare total shot down of services across the entire state.”
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Comrade Uhunmwangho noted that action of the community chief priest is worst than that of the disbanded Community Development Association, CDA whose activities were retrogressing development in the kingdom.
“It will be better we reverse to the days/era of CDA though it has been outlawed by the state government and by the Benin Monarch.”
Also speaking, Mrs Amete Joy, one of the victims whose property was collected, said all efforts to recover her land was unsuccessful even when she stayed at the Chief Priest house gate for days.
“He destroy my building with three self contains, the remaining building materials available were seized. When I bought that land we starved for days just to pay for the land” she said.
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The Ohen, Chief Priest, Ovbokhan Igbinovia had accused the association chairman of pucknosing into an affair that he was never invited with the motive of satisfying his sidechic.
He said Comrade Uhunmwangho and his members did not buy any landed property from authorities of the community.