From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
There is apprehension in Ozizza community in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State following a face-off between the people of the area and the state government. At the centre of the imbroglio is the purported sale of an abandoned pontoon at the Orra Beach, Ozizza, by the government of David Umahi, an engineer.
Ozizza people, who claim to be co-owners of the pontoon, which was given to them in 1987 by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, said that it would be a disservice to them for the facility to be disposed of in questionable circumstances without recourse to them.
They insist that the pontoon while operational was the only means connecting them with their closest neighbours of Igonigoni in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.
The community said that they had approached the Umahi government on occasions to build a bridge across the water to enable them easy access to the other parts of the world through that axis but all to no avail. They also stated that the governor had also assured them that he would build a bridge there, yet it was not done.
For Ozizza people, the state government being owners of the pontoon by outside sharing has the right to sell the facility but, as co-owners, those who attracted it from the then Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority as well as the direct beneficiaries of the pontoon, they had the right of first refusal.
On that note, the Ozizza community and, indeed, Afikpo people as a whole are reportedly squaring for a war, maintaining that removing the vessel from the Orra Beach would be a major injury to them.
Although not said publicly, indigenes of Ozizza are wont to believe that an unnamed powerful person in government was merely using the purported buyer, Benjamin Ezeoma, a serving member of Ebonyi State House of Assembly representing Izzi West, to dispossess them of the pontoon service.
Our investigations showed that a prominent son of Ozizza in government was at the centre of the whole issue. He was alleged to have a few years ago reached out to an Afikpo indigene resident in Port Harcourt, River State, from where some technicians were sourced to come and service the pontoon and started the engine. It was once the engine was activated, and confirmed to be in good shape, that the process of disposing the facility began.
Aside the allegation that the facility was sold at a ridiculous price, they also said that the process was shredded in secrecy, not minding the claim by government that it was advertised.
But the Ebonyi State Government said that the process of selling the pontoon was open and transparent, so would not be reversed. They advised Ozizza people to approach the buyer who is now the actual owner and negotiate and possibly refund him accordingly. Unconfirmed sources said the pontoon was sold at a paltry N10m while the buyer has allegedly asked for a refund of about N80million to hands off.
According to the government, reversing the transaction would trigger a series of reversal of other government property/items already sold through bidding.
Daily Sun learnt that about three attempts to remove the ferry by the said buyer were resisted by the community. In fact, Ozizza youths reportedly confronted a team of naval personnel who came to forcefully take away the pontoon.
Presently, it would be practically impossible to take away the pontoon from the point the community chained it this dry season. In the main, there have been meetings between the government and Ozizza community leaders to resolve the issue.
It was gathered that the government had before now received a delegation from Afikpo comprising the Chairman of the Forum of Afikpo North Elders and Director-General of Ebonyi Broadcasting Corporation (EBBC), Timothy Nwachi, the Deputy Speaker, Ebonyi House of Assembly, Kingsley Ikoro, the Chairman of Afikpo North LGA, Uchenna Ibiam, the Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Chief Hycinth Ikpor, and Prof. Amari Omaka, a senior advocate of Nigeria. The emissary had presented the letter from Ozizza Community concerning the pontoon.
President-General of Ozizza Development Union, Chief Daniel Umeh, told Daily Sun that it was on November 27, 2022, when some stakeholders of the area were invited to the state executive council meeting (exco), that the people were provided with the information indicating that the pontoon had already been sold to the highest bidder. He stated that before the period, the community had around September 2020, when the idea was first mooted by the government, objected to the plan of selling the pontoon service.
Historically, he said that formerly, the ferry belonged to the Anambra/Imo River Basin Development Authority but after the creation of Imo State, it then became the property of Imo River Basin Development Authority. He explained that immediately the property was spotted and identified as an essential means of transportation, Ozizza people through their first traditional ruler, Ezeogo Vincent Inya, travelled to Lagos severally and consulted the then minister of agriculture and water resources who was equally in charge of Imo River Basin Development Authority on how the vessel could be brought to Orra Beach where it would ease the movement between Ozizza people and their neighbours in Cross River State.
He said that Ozizza people were not challenging the Ebonyi State government over the ownership of the vessel, rather they are appealing that the bridge connecting the two states from that point be constructed as an alternative before the pontoon would be removed.
“Ebonyi State government owns the vessel through outside sharing but the leg work and other processes by which the pontoon was brought to Afikpo were done by Ozizza people. This simply means that we are the co-owners of the pontoon and that is why we are appealing to the government to have a change of mind because of the emotional attachment that we have for the boat.
“And based on the essentiality of the vessel, anything short of that, is a disservice to our ancestors, I can tell you affirmatively that out of the numerous persons who brought the pontoon from Oguta down to Ozizza, it is only Mr Joseph Ohan who is still alive. We are simply appealing that the government should build the bridge and we will let go,” he stated.
Another stakeholder and chairman of Esaa Council of Elders, Chief Lawrence Okpani, corroborated what the President General said, adding that the cost of bringing the boat down to where it is presently was taken care of by Ozizza who did not only levy themselves but also contributed in so many other ways.
Okpani said: “If the governor wants to remove the pontoon, we are pleading that he should erect the bridge from Ozizza to Igogoni and I will equally remind him that our people had served under two civilian governments and none of the leaders talked about the removal of the vessel.
“Though, during our last meeting with the governor, he gave us a window to negotiate with the buyer, Hon Benjamin Ezeoma, who happens to be a serving lawmaker representing Izzi West Constituency in Ebonyi State House of Assembly and refund the man his money which he had paid into the government account.”
Another community leader, Abdulkadir Alu, disclosed that it was a fatal incident which claimed lives of about 30 persons in a day at the Orra Beach some decades ago that prompted the yearning for the pontoon service by Ozizza after it was discovered in Oguta, Imo State.
He appealed to the state governor whom he described as their son for an alternative structure as bridge to enable Afikpo and Igogoni people continue to have access to each other before the boat would be removed adding that the bridge, if constructed would forestall future occurrences of drowning and other misfortunes in the area.
While Afikpo people pushed for the reversal of the said sale, the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Uchenna Orji, stated the position of government.
According to him, the government having deliberated on the matter at different stages severally resolved that the property was properly disposed in line with the laws of the state and that any attempt to reverse the decision will amount to setting the state on fire as such may invoke similar applicability on other government properties acquired from communities in other locations in the State.
“In view of the foregoing, exco affirmed before a delegation from Ozizza community namely, Chief Dan Umeh-President General, Mr. Obasi David Amadi – Secretary General, Dr. Gabriel Ugwu – Secretary General – ATWA, Mr. Uche Noble Ajuka, Mr. Nwachi Isu and Barr Patrick O. Egwu that the pontoon was properly acquired and that government cannot reverse its position.
“Meanwhile, exco admonished the delegation to ensure compliance with the decision of the government as any act of breakdown of law and order will be viewed as an affront on the powers of government and will be visited with appropriate sanctions.
“Exco further advised that should Ozziza so desire the pontoon, they could encourage the youths and leaders of the community to dialogue with the successful bidder as government will be willing to do the needful in that regard,” Orji explained.