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Odi Massacre: Crisis Over FG’s N15bn Payment

Mr Noble Pepple (left), executive director, RSSDA exchanging a document with Prof Adeboyi Daramola, VC, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State between the RSSDA and the institute in Port Harcourt, recently. Photo: Ibioye Diama
The sum of N15 billion, being part payment of N37.618 billion, intended as compensation to Odi community by the Federal Government for the infamous 1999 invasion by soldiers has pitched members of the community against one other.
Youths from the community last Saturday attacked the deputy traditional head of the community, Chief Ebitimi Karuiru, and other leaders over alleged discrepancies in the sharing of the N15 billion compensation money paid so far.
The money was paid last month by the Federal Government in compliance with a 2013 court ruling, which had ordered that N37.6 billion be paid as compensation for the invasion and destruction of the community by the military under the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo.
The controversy trailing the payment of the initial N15 billion was worsened by the fact that 40 per cent of the sum was reportedly deducted from the source by the consortium of lawyers engaged by the community.
The youths, according to the report, had descended on the homes of some prominent elders of the community over the disappearance of over N600 million from the total sum remaining.
Chief Karouiru was attacked at his Odi residence with machetes and his car set ablaze, as the rampaging youths went naked in the town, calling for the heads of those identified as the beneficiaries of the N600 million.
An eyewitness reported that the youths swarmed to the community burial site to invoke curses on those accused of diverting the funds meant for the affected families of the community.
A squadron of armed mobile policemen has since been deployed to Odi to maintain law and order.
A community source identified the signatories to the account to consist of the chief of the Odi Community, Chief Sine Akpere, Professor Kobina Imananagha, Commander Koku Imananagha (rtd) and Koloigidi Anis.
The state government, through the office of the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral John Jonah, held a meeting with the community leaders and demanded for the list of the illegal beneficiaries of the missing money.
At the meeting convened by the state government, it was agreed that representatives of the women and the youths should be included for wider representation.
“It was also agreed that the signatories made up of category A, Chief Akpere and Prof.Imananagha and Category B, Commander Imananagha and Amiso should be changed and the N9billion be domiciled in a special account pending the resolution of the issues.”
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt had last year ordered the Federal Government to pay N37.6 billion compensation to the people of Odi community over the military invasion during the Obasanjo administration.
The presiding judge in the N100 billion suit filed by the community, Justice Lambi Akanbi, had also ordered that the compensation should be paid within three weeks.
In the suit, they had prayed the court to award them the amount as damages for the destruction of lives and property in Odi. The community had also asked for N17.618billion as general damages and N20billion for special damages. They in addition had demanded public apology and the re-building of Odi community by the FG.
The judge, however, granted two of their prayers and rejected the other two. He accused the Federal Government of being economical with the truth by pleading in their counter affidavits that no inhabitant of the community was killed apart from some armed militant youths who engaged the military in gun battle; and that no property was destroyed by the soldiers.
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I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
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RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
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Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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