Those who beat the drum of shame shall dance it by themselves. That is what is happening to the Ugo Ani of Okpanam, Michael Mbanefo Ogbolu and his cabinet. Today, the credibility of Okpanam Kingdom, a mountainous kingdom overseeing the River Niger from Oshimili North Local Government Area, in Delta State, is fading away. Not because the indigenes are bad, hostile or involved in criminality, but because of the singular palace high level involvement of the Ugo Ani and his cabinet in local criminality. It has become a stock in trade for them to be forcefully acquiring communal and people’s landed properties with the help of some corrupt security agents, government officials and criminal entities from neighboring towns, as well as negatively tempering with the traditional affairs of Okpanam It is now a matter for regret that Ugo Ani, who was a Secretary of a trade union in Lagos, would condescend so low with his cabinet to now turn the Delta Police Headquarters, Zone 5 Benin, Police Headquarters, Abuja, the DSS etc their second home because of criminal activities. By the way what did one expected from a traditional ruler embedded with people of questionable characters? Investigations revealed by sources that some of Ugo Ani’s cabinet members have outstanding criminal records. Himself and his cabinet allegedly collaborated to illegally sell Obodogba Quarter’s Lands in Okpanam running into so many acres. Presently, himself and his partner Wisdom Meddon are facing a three count criminal charge in the Federal High Court, Asaba. The first count read: That you Dr Mbanefo Michael Ogbolu and Wisdom Meddon on or about the 27th of March, 2020, at Okpanam, Delta State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony by forging a document titled “letter of instruction to survey, facilitate registration and fencing of the land lying and situate at Akwulor, Okpanam, Delta State, measuring approximately 10.32 hecters ” between the Chief Executive Officer, Meddon Properties Nig. Ltd and the Diokpas and Leaders of Okpanam Community, Delta State, knowing same to be false and hereby committed an Offence contrary to section 3(6) and punishable under Section1(2)(C) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act Cap M17, LFN2004. The second count charge read: That you Dr Mbanefo Micheal Ogbolu and Wisdom Meddon on or about 27th day of March, 2020,at Okpanam, Delta State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did forged a document titled “letter of instruction to survey, facilitate registration and fencing of the land lying and situate at Akwulor, Okpanam, Delta State, meassuring, 10.32 hectares” between the Chief Executive Officer, Meddon Properties Nig Ltd and Diokpas and Leaders of Okpanam Community, Delta State, which you have use to maliciously destroyed properties belonging to several individuals within the defined areas, knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M 17, LFN 2004. Third count read: That you Dr Mbanefo Michael Ogbolu and Wisdom Meddon on or about the 27th day of March, 2020,at Okpanam, Delta State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did forge a document titled ” letter of instruction to survey, facilitate registration and fencing of the land lying and situate at Akwulor, Okpanam, Delta State, measuring approximately 10.32 hecters ” between the Chief Executive Officer, Meddon Properties Nig. Ltd and Diokpas and Leaders of Okpanam Community, Delta State, knowing same to be false and with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine to the prejudice of individuals who have already acquired landed properties within the defined areas and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(2)(C) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17,LFN 2004.
The case which had been pending because of some interest persons in the government then, that were making it difficult for Ugo Ani and his agent to be docked proceeded immediately after Okowa’s government terminated. Recently, he dived into traditional matter by petitioning the DSS, which led to the invitation of Asagba of Okpanam, Obi Abua Ozili, who is an elderly member of the Civil Liberties Organization, a Human Rights Organization, which has a world acclaimed playwrite, Wole Soyinka as a patron. The disgusting part of the matter was that Ugo Ani, a man of impunity wanted to use his position to cow Okpanam indigenes by wanting to shift the established date of their new yam festival to a date he felt suitable for himself, which has never happened in the history of the community.
It is on record that there is a law prohibiting collections of development levy or any sort of levies regarding to development of properties in Delta State . But Ugo Ani ,who has made himself outlaw has secretly set up some criminal cartels that go about in coded form harassing and forcefully collecting levies from both individuals and corporate developers.
