*Bishop Turned Deaf Ears To Community's Olive Branch For Dialogue and Peace
*Community Vows To Seek Legal Redress
Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba, Delta State.
The traditional community leadership of Umuagu Quarters in Asaba and the ecclesiastical management of the registered Trustees of the Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku are at war path over land agreement entered into in 1946.
According to a letter the community sent the director, people's right department, Delta State Ministry of Justice and made available to Asaba Post News-Wire, the community lament the breach of agreement currently suffered by the community at the hands of the religious body.
The leased property consist of land currently occupied by Saint Patrick's College, Asaba, on both sides of the main road.
The community's letter dated 31st October, 2015, with reference number, AGU/2015/10/01 and signed by Diokpa Felix O Oliko, the community's Ochendo(Regent), observed that in accordance to the Native Land Acquisition Ordinance, chapter 89, volume 12, No 4 of 1946, the community granted a lease to the registered Trustee of the Roman Catholic Mission of the Vicariate Apostolic of Asaba-Benin, which was succeeded by the registered trustees of the Catholic Diocese of Issele-Uku.
The lease agreement entered into by both parties was to last for 99 years for an annual rent of 10 Shillings.
During a confirmation media chat with an Umuagu Quarter's Red Cap Chieftain, Obi Odiaka Anyanwu, he noted that the agreement held that both parties agreed to review the term of the agreement after 39 year.
A position he shared the religious body has not lived up to the agreed terms.
The letter to the state Ministry of Justice alleged the Catholic Church agreed to pay the annual rent as and when due, as well as never to assign or underlet both sides of the premises or any part of thereof without the consent of the community.
Obi Odiaka told Asaba Post News-Wire that the Catholic Church breached the above terms of agreement, as the church had nether reviewed the annual rentage nor in recent years paid any rent as agreed in 1946.
Catholic church covenanted with the community to use the premises for the purpose of a secondary school education only, Obi Odiaka told Asaba Post News-Wire.
The red cap chieftain observed the church breached their agreed terms, when it went on to construct a shopping mail on the opposite piece of property facing the college's main gate without any written or unwritten consent to the owners of the property, being Umuagu Community.
True to the terms of our agreement, the church admitted and gave free tuition to some well endowed students of the community in the past, but had long ceased following our agreed terms.
Since Delta state government returned the college to the missionaries, they have not paid any attention to our past agreement.
Because the 99 years lease lifespan is yet consumed, the college's return to the missionaries, brought to force the 1946 lease agreement, Obi Osaka told Asaba Post News-Wire.
The church agreed to fence the properties on both sides of the road within three months after entering into the agreement, this part of the deal, the church failed at and had long stopped giving free tuition to the community's children.
Our community find it most worrisome that the church not minding her spiritual station will breach an agreement willing entered into, as well as assigned a piece of the leased property for the construction of a shopping plaza, without the consent of the community, Obi Anyanwu noted.
The community's letter alleged that two letters had been sent to His Lordship, Bishop Michael Elue, Bishop of Issele-Uku Catholic Diocese but had paid zero attention to their correspondence nor replied any of their letters.
Diokpa Felix Oliko maintained that in 2013 a letter with reference number AGU/2013/11/02 was sent to the bishop, he also demonstrated that by the following year, 2014, another letter with reference number AGU/2014/1/02 was sent again praying the bishop to pay attention to our catalogue of agreement breaches.
As peace loving community and one that respects religious institutions, we have sought to approach current with the necessary legal response, Obi Odiaka informed Asaba Post News-Wire.
At the time of going to press all efforts to get views and positions of the Issele-Uku Catholic Diocese proved abortive.
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