From Daniel Abel, Lafia
Concerned youth group and stakeholders in Agwatashi community in Obi local government have expressed concern over the rate of influx of government officials who in their droves are rushing for land acquisition in the area by every means.
The leader of the concerned youth group from Agwatashi, comrade Barr. Isa Adeka who spoke to our reporter in Lafia on Wednesday said they are no longer comfortable with the recent development where politicians and top government officials are using their position to grab lands in the oil bearing community.
“We are worried and uncomfortable with the way and manner some desperate top government officials have suddenly developed interest in acquisition of farm land of our people.
“It is no longer news that recent oil exploration shows huge oil deposits in Agwatashi community of Obi local government and else where even though drilling of the oil has not started apart from the one in Obi.
“We are using this forum to inform anybody who is using his position as government official to acquire land in Agwatashi and its environs to exercise restrain as we are keeping watch over every land deals.
“We also caution the traditional rulers, sons and daughters in all the communities in Agwatashi to desist from selling farm lands or be used by any influential figure.
“We are aware that moves are being made by some highly placed persons in government to acquire large piece of land in their area for their personal interest using their offices.
The youth group noted that because of the oil prospect in the area merchant politicians and some top government officials are acquiring lands at very cheap prices so that they will make fortune tomorrow at the expense of the owners of the land who will be stripped to become stranger in their own land.
Comrade Mohammed sited an instance in neibhouring community in Awe local government where former governor of Bauchi, Isa Yuguda, who came all the way from his state to purchase a large space of land harbouring some mineral deposits but was not known to the community then.
“We do not want to regret later given what happened to a nearby community in Awe that sold a large space of land to the former Bauchi State governor Isa Yuguda who is harvesting huge deposit of expensive mineral deposits today and nobody can collect it back from him, not even the state.
The group called on the sons and daughters of Agwatashi to learn from history and from what is happening at the Niger Delta where most of the oil well owners are not from the community.
He appealed to community heads and leaders, youth groups from the various communities not to allow themselves to be used by the merchants to sell their God given wealth and plunge their children into poverty and restiveness in the future.
The youth group urged indigenes of Agwatashi and other communities in Obi and Keana not to allow greed to push them into selling their ancestral land for pea nut.
In his word, “never trade your future for a pea nut. Tomorrow is bigger than today. Resist any temptation and pressure from any quarter to sell your future. A word is enough for the wise”.