Ugborodo Crisis: Peace is gradually Returning – Ogborogbeyi …Says Nobody was killed by military men

Francis Sadhere

Chairman, Export Processing Zone Interface Committee, Ogidigben, Barr. Austin oborogbeyi has said that peace was gradually returning to Ugborodo community, debunking claims that five people were killed by military personnel during last Saturday’s Delta local polls.

Barr. Oborogbeyi disclosed this today while addressing newsmen at the NUJ Warri Correspondent Chapel’s programme tagged, “Searchlight on State of the State.”

He said the Interface Committee was ready to serve the community with all sincerity, adding that they have set up machineries in motion to try and talk to the two warring factions.

He stressed that the major challenge facing the interface committee was how to bring the two warring factions to a round table and try and reconcile them, noting that without reconciliation the expected peace needed for development will be an illusion.

On the news going round that five people were killed by soldiers in Ugborodo, Barr. Oborogbeyi said he was at Ugborodo to cast his vote on October 25, 2014, emphasizing that there was no confrontation between the Ugborodo people and the military.

Barr. Oborogbeyi explained that the Ugborodo people only staged a peaceful protest not to allow the military into their community, saying that “there cannot be any talks of anybody dying, except the persons have been drowned”. If they claimed that people died, then the question we should be asking is, where are their corpses?”

Explaining further, Barr. Oborogbeyi  said that a woman allegedly attacked a military personel and tore his uniform to shred, adding that some of the youths who were earlier arrested by the military were released with his quick intervention into the matter.

While noting that it was the responsibility of the military to protect lives and property, Barr. Oborogbeyi called for dialogue among the warring factions in Ugborodo to ensure peace that would attract investors to the oil rich community.

Barr.Oborogbeyi declined having knowledge of the military having any parochial interest that was inimical to the Ugborodo people but assured that should the military have interest, it is for the collective interest of the Ugborodo people and not for an individual against the other.

He stressed the need for appropriate sanctions for persons who have committed “sacrilegeous” crimes within Ugborodo Community.

He said; “if somebody has done wrong that person must be given the appropriate sanctions no matter his position in the society”.

Barr. Oborogbeyi attributed the lingering crisis in Ugborodo community to attempts by some persons to forcefully remove some executives, whose tenure has not ended, from the Ugborodo Trust.

While noting that the crisis was not caused by the presence of the EPZ project, he said the crisis that has lingered for years, was caused by Ugborodo Trust led by factions allegedly led by Chief Thomas Ereyitomi and Hon. David Tonwe.

He expressed the readiness of the EPZ Interface Committee to invest some of the money coming to the community, saying that that was the only way the community could benefit more from companies coming to their land.

According to him; “We are ready to serve the community. We will continue to build confidence on the people. I am driven by passion to serve the community. Our action in the Committee will speak for itself. EPZ did not create the crisis as the crisis has been there before the EPZ. The EPZ is big enough for everybody to benefit from.”