Diaspora (Commonwealth Union) _ The Uvwies in Diaspora have praised HRM Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1, the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, for his role in securing a favorable court judgment in a land dispute against the Nigerian Army.
The Effurun High Court recently deemed the Nigerian Army’s acquisition of a substantial parcel of Uvwie land in Ohore as illegal and invalidated the acquisition. Chief Ogheneovo T. Amurun, Coordinator of the group, commended the monarch’s efforts in reclaiming the land from speculators and land grabbers in a statement. These individuals’ actions had caused hardship for the original owners of the land.
Dr. Amurun, a security expert and University lecturer based in the United Kingdom, criticized the Army’s actions as inhuman and condemned the conversion of public and community land into personal estates by selfish officers, as well as the selling of community lands solely for their own benefits.
The group called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate the alleged payment of N405 million by Chevron employers to former senior army officers to acquire a large portion of the Uvwie land. They also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to invite retired army officers involved in the land sale scandal and illegal collection of ground rent by middlemen for some army officers.
Additionally, the group expressed gratitude to Delta state governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori for supporting Uvwie in reclaiming the Ohore land. They also praised the Uvwie people for their patience in adhering to the judicial process for approximately ten years without resorting to unlawful actions.
The group took the opportunity to congratulate HRM Emmanuel Sideso Abe 1 on the occasion of his 16th anniversary on the throne of his ancestors.
