Community Threatens To Sue ASALGA Over Ceding Of Territories

The Ilelema community
in the Asari Toru Local Government Area has threatened a legal suit against the Asari Toru Local Government Council over the ceding of its territories to those he described as strangers from Abonnema in the Akuku Toru Local Government Area.
The Asari Toru Local Government Council, had in  a public notice, dated 6th November 2013 called for contributions from the public on the creation of four additional communities in the area.
The four communities included Abbi-Ama, Kieni-Ama, Atuka-Ama and Idiminabo-Ama.
However, the Ilelema community had in series of petitions cautioned the council chairman against the creation of Idiminabo-Ama as the area belongs to Ilelema community.
Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt of the weekend, the spokesman of Ilelema community, Prince Richardson Richard Sagbe said that the Asalga chairman and his legislative Assembly could not cede their territory to strangers from Abonnema without the consent of their people.
Prince Sagbe said that since the announcement for the proposed creation of the new community, the Ilelema people had not only publicly denounced the move but had met with the council chairman in private to compel him not to create the new community, and wondered why the council chairman went ahead to sign the bill into a by claw against the wishes of the people.
He said that the so called Idiminabo-Ama is a virgin forest that is owned by Ilelema, stressing that the Idimina Lawson Jack family who were given just only two plots by their fore fathers in 1885 for piggery left the place during the civil war and had since not returned.
Prince Sagbe also condemned the circulation of a purported Deed  of Transfer allegedly signed between Ilelema and Chief Idimina Lawson Jack family, in 2009, stressing that the document is not known to his people.
Also speaking, the youth leader of Ilelema, Comrade Ayemonia G. Taylor, said that youths of Ilelema are ready to spill their blood to defend their heritage and urged the council to reverse the law in the interest of peace of the area.