By Okhide Em’ya David
Community Forest Watch, a non-governmental organization has donated food items, cash and other items to the displaced indigenes Ijaw-Gbene Communities in Ovia South West Local Government Area Edo State, Nigeria.
The NGO said the gesture was part of efforts to cushion the devastating effects of the People, now sheltered elsewhere in the state.
Ijaw-Gbene Communities were allegedly burnt down on the May 20, 2020 by security personnel attached to Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC as parts of the Company’s expansion projects.
The situation led to loss of personal belongings, documents and household items while victims of the displacement have been taking refuge at the premises of a church at AT&P in the same Local Government Area.
The People in previous press interviews said “all efforts to get compensation in terms of rehabilitation and replacement of lost valuables have been truncated by undue claims to unverifiable acquisition and legal frameworks”
The national coordinator of Community Forest Watch, Chief Sunday Ajele, while presenting the items said that “the gesture is to alert the People of the world, particularly those who mobilized Bulldozers to the Communities to raze it down in the quest for profits and unbridled zeal to possess the whole space for mankind, that the Earth will be a better place if there is a little care for one another no matter the pursuit of any ambition or.”
Ajele tasked Okomu PLC to kindly exhibit human face in its acquisition and expansion policies “as material things do not matter on the long run as even being presently proven by the ravaging novel corona virus which seems to have thinly closed the gap between the Elites and have-nons.”
Ajele says: “The Gifts may not be rich but it is certainly a measure of hope and gesture towards rapid response to support the victims, alleviate their sufferings and put smiles on their faces.”
Community Forest Watch observed that “there is nothing they will give that will be enough to replace what they have lost, but just to ameliorate the harsh effect of sudden uprooting from their natural habitats.”
Some of the beneficiaries, including Mr. Joseph Miyana, Rose joseph, Mr. Lucky Ukuegbo and Hellen Joseph, on behalf of others expressed their happiness and promised to make use of the items judiciously.
The locals who burst into songs of joy said the food, cash and other gift items have rekindled their hopes that Humanity in deed do not end with those who have thrown caution to the wind in the pursuit of their aspirations and economic dreams .
They immensely expressed deep appreciation to the donors praying that God Almighty will replenish their pockets.
Some of the items donated were rice, beans, cooking oil, mosquito nets, clothes and toiletries.
