By Michael Egbejule, Benin City
Edo State government, yesterday, said it will treat members of the Evbuorokhuo community as criminals, for threatening and preventing Raycon construction Company, the firm handling the Ikpako-Ajoki road project from carrying out its duty.
Recall that Edo State government, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC) and other partners had on February 9, 2022, flagged off the 16.7km Ikpako-Ajoki road project that cuts across Ovia North-East and Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The governor, Godwin Obaseki, at the flag off, said the road project would open up the communities to economic development activities, especially because of its proximity to the planned Benin Seaport in Gelegele.
Investigation, however, revealed that some farmers said to be from Evbuorkhuo village, in Ovia North-East Local Council are preventing the construction company from carrying out its work, over alleged encroachment and damage to their farms.
The action of the grieving farmers is said to have stopped the company from continuing its stone dressing work because of their demand for compensation for the damage.
Confirming the incident to newsmen in Benin, the company’s site manager, Chidubem Ikedionwu, said it took the intervention of the leadership of the Obateru community before one of the armed farmers allowed them to move one of the seized earth equipment.
Sharing his encounter with one of the aggrieved farmers with newsmen, the Odionwere (Village Head) of Obateru community, Mr. Emmanuel Uwagboe, said the caterpillar was released following his intervention.
“I spoke with the farmers to thread with caution and also appealed to the state government to meet and dialogue with the farmers,’’ he said.
Contacted, the Community Liaison Officer, Mr Stanly Osayande, who confirmed the incident, appealed to the state government to dialogue with the aggrieved farmers for the sake of peace.
“As laudable as the Ikpako-Ajoki road project is, we don’t want anything that will jeopardise its completion on time.
“It is my appeal that the state government should for humanity’s sake meet with these farmers and offer them something for their damaged crops considering the current economic hardship in the country,’’ he said.
But the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Chris Enehikhare, said the state government would rather treat those preventing and threatening construction workers as criminals than pay compensation.
“I cannot imagine that people who should be happy that development was coming to their communities through the road project, are threatening workers sent by government and demanding compensation.
“However, we have asked the director in the ministry of Roads and Bridges along with officials from the Oil and Gas Producing Areas Development Commission (EDSOPADEC) to visit the site for on the spot assessment,” he added.
Source: The Guardian
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