Land Dispute Deepens: Amasiri Stakeholders Fire Back At ‘False Claims’ Over Oso, Okporojo Ownership
In communities where land is identity, history is never just a story, it is a claim to belonging. That truth is once again at the heart of a renewed dispute between Amasiri and Edda in Ebonyi State.
Concerned stakeholders from Amasiri have issued a strong rebuttal to a publication by Princess Onyeoma Kama, PhD, titled “Gov Nwifuru’s Resolve to Restore Peace in Amasiri,” describing her claims over the ownership of Oso and Okporojo land as sweeping, misleading, and historically distorted.
In a statement signed by Princess (Dr) Joy Omagha Idam, Publisher of Weekenders Magazine, the group insisted that Oso and Okporojo are historically and geographically part of Amasiri, rejecting what they called attempts to rebrand the areas as exclusively belonging to Edda.
They argued that references to the 1930 Waddington Report and colonial administrative arrangements cannot override indigenous boundary realities that predate colonial documentation.
According to them, ancestral settlements, natural landmarks, customary agreements, and long-standing oral histories form the foundation of territorial identity in many African communities.
The stakeholders also dismissed claims that Amasiri lacks a legal or historical basis for its position, noting that old signposts reportedly bore inscriptions identifying Oso as part of Amasiri.
They warned against dismissing oral history entirely, stressing that such narratives underpin most traditional boundary definitions.
Describing allegations that Amasiri is expansionist and violent as unfair and inflammatory, the group cautioned that such language risks escalating tensions rather than fostering reconciliation.
They maintained that boundary realities are shaped by generations of settlement patterns, intermarriages, shared markets, and cultural coexistence, not merely by administrative classifications or the presence of government infrastructure.
While reaffirming Amasiri’s commitment to peaceful coexistence, the stakeholders called for objective boundary verification, credible documentation, and impartial mediation through mechanisms established by the Ebonyi State Government.
They urged all parties to avoid prejudicial commentary and allow the state’s peace committee to carry out its work without interference.
“History should unite, not divide,” the statement concluded, insisting that peace must be anchored on truth, fairness, and mutual respect.
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