BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
There is tension and anger in Asaba, Delta State capital, over alleged plans by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to acquire the Ibori golf course and allocate same to some of his political associates, The Point has learnt.
Sources familiar with the development told The Point on condition of anonymity, that the process has been on for some time now and it is about to be actualised.
One of the sources hinted that all the paper works have gotten to an advanced stage and moving at a cruising speed within the relevant ministries.
But when The Point Correspondent contacted the Information Commissioner, Charles Aniagwu, he rather elected to play the ostrich with his response as he neither denied nor confirmed the story.
One of the many sources who spoke on the development had informed The Point that, “The latest news in Asaba is that the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration wants to sell and allocate the land of the Ibori golf and country club to his political associates and cronies. We understand that this scheme came about because when the land at Liberty Estate was divided, Senator Okowa did not consider it necessary to give a few of his very close associates. Liberty Estate, if you don’t know, is the Banana Island of Asaba. Government officials and politicians have the largest share of land there and 80% of the land was given to people from Delta North. So, to placate these people that were inadvertently left out and who are mostly from other parts of the state, the Ministry of Lands has been mandated to find land from anywhere for them that is just as good as Liberty Estate.
And in her wisdom, the Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Mrs. Kate Onyianwa, thought that the best land to acquire was the land of the golf course. Some of these people don’t even know how the land came about; they were perhaps too young then to know or were never politically relevant as they are today back then. That golf course was created by a former military administrator, the late Air Commodore Ibrahim Kefas (rtd) and it has passed through two civilian governors, Chief James Ibori (Delta Central) and Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta South) without it being encroached upon for any reason. It had always served the purpose of providing recreation for members of the club across the Niger Delta and the country as a whole,” the source revealed.
However, Aniagwu’s response to the alleged plan by some politicians and influential members of the golf community to share portions of the Ibori golf and country club, Asaba, among themselves was anything but serious.
In a rather trivial and dismissive response, he asked if The Point correspondent knew the golf club.
He challenged the caller to go and meet his source and ask him to call him since he couldn’t tell if he was really working for the paper as he claimed.
Aniagwu asked, “Do you know the golf club? Have you been to the golf club? Why are you getting interested in a place that you don’t know? Call your reporter here and tell him to call me. That your reporter that you have here, tell him that he should be the one to call me so that I will know who I’m dealing with. Tell that your reporter in Delta to call me so that I can identify with him. I can’t begin to respond to somebody I don’t know, I don’t know you. That you said you work for a particular newspaper does not mean that is who you work for. So, tell that your reporter in Delta to call me, I will listen. Have a great day,” and with that, he hung up on the caller.
Another source, who apparently is an insider, told The Point that, “The land which was taken from the people of Asaba in overriding public interest back then, is now to be distributed by a governor of Anioma stock. It is painful; no, very annoying. During his tenure, Chief Ibori built the club house, while Dr. Uduaghan donated needed equipment for the maintenance of the course. But in the last six and a half years, nothing has been given to the club by this administration, not even a kobo to the club. All they are particular about is how to share and allocate the land to themselves.
All the green areas in the capital city are gone. The Ibori golf and country club is the only standard golf course in Delta State and has the Asagba of Asaba as the grand patron. What a shame, couldn’t Okowa have created GRAs on the outskirts of Asaba to encourage expansion, if he wanted to satisfy his people instead of encroaching on land that is meant for public use?” the source queried.
It was gathered that some prominent members of the club have appealed to Governor Okowa, to rethink the matter and step into it and ensure that such a thing that could be a stain on his administration doesn’t see the light of day.
Another source restated the fact that the golf course is one of the most cherished recreational facilities around in the South South region.
“The truth is that the golf course is one of the foremost recreational facilities in the Niger Delta. It was established over 30 years ago when Delta was carved out of the old Bendel State by the then military government. It was, however, expanded and given a befitting economic advantage by the administration of former Governor James Ibori.
“People have been alarmed, I mean, members of the club, when top Delta State government officials, including Commissioner, Lands and Survey, as well as chairman of the state’s Land Allocation Committee, visited the place. It is a bad thing. We actually heard from the grapevine that some powerful individuals had acquired portions of the golf club and would be converting it to other uses.
“It may interest you to know that the club draws its members from across the 36 states and even the FCT. It is indeed one of the most functional and reliable golf courses in the region, apart from the one in Akwa Ibom.
“We actually want you guys to publish this story, or if possible, appeal to Governor Okowa, there are parcels of lands everywhere around the capital city territory that can be converted for any other use by political associates for whatever they want. Let them just leave this golf club for us, that is our appeal. We may have to write him collectively or go through the Asagba to actualize our desire. The thing is not good and people are not happy over it, it is the height of greed. Must people acquire everything because they are lucky to be in office?
“One thing about the club is the fact that it is very well recognised, especially, for its layout mapped by satellite, making it one of the few Nigerian courses that can be played using GPS.
“Then you talk of the economic impact of the course to the state. I wish people think beyond the present, beyond mundane self-interest and primitive acquisition. I wish they think of its comparative advantage to the state. All these will become nothing if it is acquired by the high and mighty in the state,” the source sorrowfully told The Point.
