… Some Community leaders are cheating on the indigenes – Management

By Our Correspondent

The Omadino Community in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State has alleged that the management of Eagle Height University, Omadino owned by the Word of Life Bible Church, Warri has encroached on parcels of land not sold to them originally and that the University is intimidating them with military men and forcefully fencing other peoples land within the university.

But the University insisted that they have settled all community requirement and even families financially although it appears the money is not being distributed equitably to some major players, adding that that is where the problems are coming from.

In a peaceful protest yesterday led by the Chief Priest of the community, Hon. Roland Yomere at the entrance of the University, he stated that the committee set up by Omadino community to liaise with the management of the University has sold out and have compromised the interest of Omadino people, saying that “we want the University management to come to the community and negotiate with us”.

According to him, “the University has encroached on more than the 100acres of land sold to them originally”. He alleged that they “even fenced into the University land, the Church premises of the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG) and other individual lands”.

But members of the University project management committee who spoke only on condition of anonymity asserted that “we have settled the community from when we first bought 30acres and then 70acres and proceeded to show appreciation to the community.

“The problem is that some community persons sold lands inside the University premises to other individuals including the RCCG. So when we started the perimeter fencing of the University land, some persons started making trouble and some community leaders organized to destroy the perimeter fence. This informs why there is need for security presence at the University gate and the fencing is currently ongoing.

“We even held meetings with leaders of the protesters on Monday 2nd August, 2021 and agreed to meet again at the community next Monday 9th of August, 2021 to pursue the way forward only for them to engage on this protest yesterday Tuesday 3rd August, 2021.

“We believe that of the N24million Naira we have given out recently, some persons feels cheated in their sharing formular”.

Individuals who bought land from some community persons are demanding refund of their monies and could not get it back, even the RCCG came to appeal to us to give them the money with which they bought the land but we declined their demand and ask them to go back and get their refund from who sold land to them.

While Eagle Height University bought the land in early 2004, evidence shows that the RCCG bought their parcel of land in 2017 for N550,000. While the protest on, work was steadily in progress at the University site under the protection of military men as trailer load of granite were seen going in and out without let or hindrances.

Hon. Roland Yomere however insisted that the peaceful protest would continue until the University management comes to Omadino to discuss and negotiate with them even as they claim to be happy with the citing of the institution in their community but not at their detriment.­