
(l) Omu Dunkwu, Dr Ebigwei
Custodianship of Land Belongs to Village Heads: Omu Anioma, Sylvan Ebigwei, Others Speak on Okpanam Land Tenure System
– Story By Emeka Esogbue
The Omu of Okpanam/Anioma, HRM Obi Dr Martha Dunkwu, on Wednesday took to Okpanam Indigenes on Facebook to bare her mind on Land Tenure System of Okpanam community.
A Facebook user, Sandra Obi Nkem had submitted a post on Okpanam Indigenes on Facebook, a forum of Okpanam people, asking to know the custodianship of Okpanam land and there was a flurry of reactions among them, the Omu of Okpanam/Anioma, HRM Obi Dr Martha Dunkwu and High Chief Dr. Sylvan Ebigwei, MON, Elder Statesman, renowned Surgeon and former Chairman of Governing Board, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital who is also the Iyase of Obodoagba.
From the reactions received, the Omu of Okpanam and Iyase Obodoagba reiterated the legal regime of the ownership of land which they said rests with respective village heads called the “Diokpa.”
Diokpaship is a system of progeniture in practice among the Anioma people of Nigeria.
Clearing the air on the issue, the Omu emphasized “we have four Villages making up Okpanam. Each village (quarter) has Diokpa and the Diokpa holds the land in custody for his Village.”
“If the government wants to build anything for Okpanam, the Diokpa Isi will call Izuani and inform them. If the site of what the government wants to build is in Obodogba for example, the town will plead with Obodogba to release that land to Okpanam, who in turn will release the land to government,” the Nneoha illustrated.
Citing several reasons to justify her stance, the Omu submitted, “that’s the reason Obodogba donated the land of Olie Market and health centre to Okpanam, who in turn donated it to the government. Ogbeozoma (Ugwunadagbe) donated the LA school land and the hospital in Ogbeobi to Okpanam, who in turn donated it to the government. Amachai donated the school land in Amachai to Okpanam, who in turn donated to Government. In the same way, Obodogwugwu donated the post office land, the Afor Market land and part of Okpalani School land to Okpanam, who in turn donated it appropriately.”
“No Diokpa Isi in Okpanam has ever been the custodian of Okpanam land. So, Ugoani is not the custodian of any land in Okpanam. When Delta State Government de-acquired the 850 plots of Obodogwugwu land, the Diokpa Isi called Izuani, informed all of us that Delta State Government de-acquired Obodogwugwu land. He handed the papers to Obodogwugwu. In the same way, if Obodogba land is de-acquired, it is for the Ugoani to summon the Izuani, not Ugoani-in-Council and hand the land over to Obodogba,” she further clarified.
“It is the business of Obodogba what they want to do with their land. Just like it was the business of Obodogwugwu what they did with their 850 plots de-acquired by the Delta State Government. There you are. God bless all of you quantumly.”
The Omu maintained that even with the introduction of the Ugoani system, the instrument or Gazette approved by Delta State Government clearly holds the Izuani as the highest decision-making body in Okpanam.
“The Diokpa Isi and the Ugoani do not own the land of Okpanam and are not custodians of the land of Okpanam. It is only when an Ogbe has issues and cannot sort it on their own that it is brought to the Izuani. The Ugoani is the political and administrative head while the Diokpa Isi is the Traditional head. Igadi,” according to her.
Omu Anioma’s view was corroborated by Chief Dr. Sylvan Ebigwei, MON, the Iyase of Obodoagba who wrote, “it is obvious that the Diokpa Isi of Okpanam has no land rights except that of his Quarters. Even as (sic) that he has no absolute control of his quarter’s land without the approval of other leaders of that quarter. In Obodogba, the three Diokpas of Umu Omahe, Umu Obodo and Umu Osuma must authenticate all land deeds to be genuine.”
For Iyase Ebigwei, the President-General Emeditus, Aka Ikenga, the land tenure system of Okpanam is reposed to various quarter heads being the Diokpa and the elders of those quarters to hold in trust on behalf of families.
Every community in Okpanam has their Diokpa’s (sic) who is the head and have power over things that concerns (sic) their community. That we have Asagba from Umu-male doesn’t mean he has the power over their land or Obodo-ogwugwu while they have their Diokpa, same goes for Isama, Odogwu of Okpanam, and even the Ugo-ani and so On. Every “ogbe” community in Okpanam has their Diokpa who has the power over their lands simple” so said Fred Anyabuofu Nwaeche.
“Sylvan Ebigwei, this is insightful. I think we the youths should be more exposed to the history of our people,”
Gabriel Okonma, another member of the forum submitted.
Like other communities situated around the Asaba Capital Territory currently in land crises, with Ibusa as the most recent, Okpanam is facing illegal and indiscriminate sales of land, which many condemn as denial of homes to unborn indigenes.
Many also believe that land crises have brought Okpanam down on her feet and that the youths are mainly to blame for the act.
Okpanam, the famous home of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu is located in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.