Until the coming of Oba Ewuare II and Governor Godwin Obaseki, traders, property developers, commercial drivers and bike riders lived in fear of ‘agberos’, private revenue collectors, Community Development Association and all sorts of thugs. They faced daily harassment from several other faceless groups who made them to cough out money that never got to local or state government coffers.
Traders at various markets, including squatters and hawkers, were made to pay between N500 and N1200 daily out of which only N60 got to the local government purse. These money was forcibly collected and goods of any trader who failed to pay were confiscated.
Commercial bus drivers were made to pay between N900 and N4000 daily, taxi drivers paid between N500 and N3000 instead of N400 official rate for the both the state and local governments. Keke operators coughed out between N500 and N1000 daily against N200 official rate. The drivers were made to pay union dues to Driver Welfare Union before it was handed over to Professional Drivers on Wheel, Road Transport Employers Association and the National Union of Road Transport Workers. Besides, they were made to pay feeding money to chairmen, secretaries and treasurers of various motor parks.
For private property developers, it was a journey through hell to erect a building due to constant demands from leaders of CDAs. Most times, three different communities’ CDAs would lay ownership of the piece of land. They made unreasonable demands ranging from development levy, borehole levy, fencing levy, roofing levy amongst others.
Besides huge demands from property developers, many communities are yet to recover from wanton destruction of properties and loss of lives occasioned from attempt to change leadership of community CDAs. It was a common parlance among some youths to brag that ‘I work in community’ because of the financial gains.
Believe Irorere from Ekiadolor was just 17 years when he was arrested for being a community fighter in Ekiadolor village because he was promised a parcel of land. He was arrested alongside Abraham Osifo with dangerous weapons while they were on their way to engage in a fight with neighboring Isikhu community in Ovia North East local government.
Irorere is an apprentice learning how to repair heavy duty trucks. In his bid to get rich quick through the sale of land, he was encouraged to join in the fight against neighboring community to recover a large expanse of land out of which he would be given a piece.
Speaking to reporters during a parade by the police, he claimed it was his first time of handling dangerous weapons.
According to him, “I am a community fighter for Ekiadolor. We were going for a fight with a neighbourng community when I was arrested and they called me an armed robber. I am not an armed robber. I have not killed or injured anybody. The fight has just started. It was because of land. The land belongs to Ekiadolor community but Isikhu said it belongs to them. They picked me and others. The chairman said we should go and fight for the land and they would give us a portion. We were promised parcel of land. I carried cutlass. The chairman does not used to go to fight with us.”
The story of young Irorere is a typical example of what youths in several communities under the guise of Community Development Association (CDAs) have resorted for land grabbing. For the prompt intervention of the police, Ekiadolor and Isikhu communities would have engaged in communal clash that would have resulted to loss of lives and properties.
In 2015, Arougba Community in Oredo Local Government was enmeshed in crisis over sales of community land. Youth chairman of the community, Okoro Obaretin, was killed. Chief priest (Ohen-Ogba) of the community, Clifford Omosomwan, was assassinated at his residence. Assistant head of the community, Goodluck Uwumahongie, was beheaded and his head was never found. Ten other persons were killed in the crisis while several houses, vehicles and motor-cycles were set ablaze.
Azagba community in Uhunmwode Local Government was also enmeshed in crisis in 2014. Three youths- Osadolor , 28, Amigolo Ighitu , 45, and Ameosa Egbeobamwanye- who were hired by the CDA chairman were killed. Several houses were razed. Crisis in the community occurred over leadership tussle between spiritual leader of the community, Nosakhare Ogieriakhi and the CDA chairman, Charles Egbe.
At Evbuekoi community, Chief Priest of the community, Mr. Adesuwa Osaghea Osarodion, was last year chased away from his residence after some thugs invaded the community over leadership tussle.
Communities, such as Ukhoromi, Okabere, Ogheghe and several others in Edo South have been ransacked and properties destroyed when over attempts to change the CDA leadership or the Ohen (Spiritual head) or Odionwere (village head) want to take charge of the sale of community land.
Besides the leadership tussle and wanton destruction of lives and properties, CDAs in some communities made land developers pay heavily for a building to be erected. They could sell one parcel of land to more than five persons, collect development levy as high as N300,000 for a land measuring 50 feet by 100 feet. As the chairmen of some CDAs became rich and powerful, they would start having loggerheads with the recognised head of the communities like the Ohen (Chief Priest) Odionwere (oldest man) or Enogie (Duke)
However, Governor Obaseki did the unthinkable when on January 1 he announced a ban on all forms of collection of taxes, rates and levies from market women, hawkers and street traders. To show leaders of other various groups that he meant business, State Chairman of RTEAN, Osakpamwan Eriyo, was arrested in December last year over alleged threat to life. The action of Obaseki was in line with a promise he earlier made that his administration would not allow non-state actors collect revenue in the state.
The state government has begun a pilot a scheme in three local government areas for the collection of revenue using Point of Sales otherwise known as e-ticketing. Commercial drivers are now made to pay N200 daily.
It was Oba Ewuare II who began the campaign for the eradication of CDAs activities in communities under his domain. At the thanksgiving service to mark his coronation, Oba Ewaure II said the taking over of many communities by some youths under the guise of CDAs was worrisome and that communal affairs especially as it relates to land administration would henceforth be handled by the recognised leadership in the community.
During a courtesy visit to Obaseki, the monarch told the governor to eradicate the menace of CDAs across the state.
His words, “May I use this opportunity to seek the state government’s support in eradicating the menace of Community Development Associations in Edo South in particular and Edo state in general. Most of their actions have impeded the development of our communities. For the avoidance of doubt, CDAs are not supposed to be involved in land matters. Community lands as in other matters of the community are under the enigie, odionwere or ohenn as the case may be.”
The Oba said youths have become terror in their communities instead of contributing to the growth of communities frowned at the current situation where the CDAs chairmen are custodian of community land instead of the Enogie, Odionwere or Ohen (Chief Priest). He said the era of illegal land grabbing has stopped and urged the youths to go back to farming instead of idling away in the name of CDAs.
His words, “We are talking about hunger. The palace has many lands which many CDAs have encroached on. I don’t want hunger in the land. We have to produce our food. Many people don’t want to work again. They don’t want to go to the farm. Non indigenes are now doing the farm work in Edo land. Why is it that Edo people don’t want to farm again?
Last month, the State House of Assembly passed the bill criminalizing activities of CDAs in the state. The bill prohibit forceful and illegal occupation of landed property by CDAs in the State.
Explaining contents of the bill, Speaker Justin Okonoboh said the bill prescribed that no person or group of persons while acting for themselves or acting as agents or members of a community Development Associations to occupy any landed property in the State.
‘He said, “No youth organisations or other body by whatever name called shall demand or collect any fee or levy in whatever guise in respect of construction or development activities in any property in Edo.
”The bill also prescribed that a task force shall be established in the state which shall be responsible for the provisions of the law.”
Speaker Okonoboh stated that any person who contravenes the provisions of the law commits an offense and shall be liable for ten years imprisonment or a fine of two million Naira.
Following a recent increase in criminal activities in the state, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 5, Mohammed Abubakar, at a stakeholders meeting warned the former revenue collectors to desist from causing mayhem in the state under the guise of being jobless.
Alhaji Abubakar said the police has received security report that some groups among them were warming up to forment trouble and cause mayhem since they have been disengaged by the Edo state government.
According to him, “The purpose of this meeting is for crime prevention. We are all aware of the fact that the state is very peaceful and the crime rate of the state is low. We have businesses going on without molestation. We have nightlife and everything is perfect.
“However, we got intelligence that some group of people are not happy with the recent happenings because of some policy pronouncement and that they are likely going to do some acts that will lead to the breakdown of law and order and to heighten tension in the state because of criminality and we feel that the people we need to partner with is you.
“You are the people we are to partner with so as to know where the problems are and how we can tackle the problem so as to prevent commission of crimes and to prevent the breakdown of law and order. That is the essence of which we invited you here today because without you, we will not be able to know where the grievance are and you have a lot of membership”, he said.
State Chairman of Road Transport Employee Association of Nigeria Pastor Sunday Erhahon informed the AIG that many of the association workers have been laid off due to the state government directives stopping them from collecting union dues.
Pastor Erhahon stated that the state government directive may force the disengaged workers to take to crime and criminality in the state.
Chairman, Akugbe Venture, Comrade Tony Kabaka told the AIG that the 2,722 persons working under him are jobless since the government opted to using POS to collect revenue.
“For the revenue side like me, I have a database of 2,722 workers all over the state, they are jobless as we speak likewise the Road Transport Employer, likewise the Drivers Rebirth, the Drivers on Wheels, likewise with the National Union of Road Transport and the Drivers Welfare.
“Sir,the latest development will not help the youth. We want you to use your good office to appeal to the governor to streamline the revenue collection this way.To start with, revenue collectors do not have a central park where vehicle can queue up and use the POS because most drivers are illiterate.”
