Aladja’s allegation on obstruction of officials and bulldozers false, provocative —Ogbe-Ijoh

WARRI—THE people of Ogbe-Ijoh community, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, have described as false and provocative, allegation by Aladja community in Udu Area that they stopped officials and bulldozers deployed by the state government from clearing the thick forest between the two communities. Ogbe-Ijoh leader, Chief Monday Keme, in a statement, said: “The attention of Ogbe-Ijoh people has been drawn to the false and misleading publication by one Chief Photo Ogbe, the traditional prime minister (Oghwuvwie-Ode) of Aladja with other leaders of the community, inciting the state government against Ogbe-Ijoh community.” Chief Keme asserted: “There is no truth whatsoever in these claims and they can best be described as figments of the authors’ imagination. We equally want to state that at no time did Ogbe-Ijoh people mobilize to stop the ongoing clearing between the two communities. “It is equally important to state that the state government and the press should confirm from those directed to clear the disputed land if there was any stoppage, and to ascertain which of the communities did it. For the records, from the beginning, the Ogbe-Ijoh community has exercised maximum restraint and has supported every effort of government towards achieving peace.”