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To continue with the afternoon of July 29, 2017, Gordon Abiama spoke of introducing technology to villagers, so that they don’t have to live as if it were the eighteenth century, but don’t have to move to the cities, either.
He followed with a slide presentation: Center Site 2004, Groundbreaking Ceremony. Youth celebrating the Odi Ogori annual festival. Homage at the king’s palace. At Yoff Ecovillage, Dakar, Senegal. Bamboo crafts in Accra, Ghana. Computers donated. Proposed Information and Communications Technology Center. Gordon Abiama with the king. Mr. Abiama’s humble home.
He said that Odi Ecovillage is still there, with about 10,000 people, farmlands, ponds, etc., but there are other people and buildings around it. There are encroachments, things built on one extended family’s land without permission.
Someone suggested a GPS map to prevent encroachments. Gordon Abiama said they need fences around the village. Going to court is not a good solution.
Joshua Vincent asked about 1999. The Reverend Mr. Abiama said that youths were paid to go to Abujan, and demonstrate for the dictator, Sonny Abacha. After seeing the rich city, they came back and damaged oil equipment. There was a shootout, and police were killed. The authorities demanded the killers, which was not possible; some of the youths involved were not from the village.
Soldiers descended on the village, and burned it down, killing 4000 people, including old men, etc. Gordon Abiama’s mother escaped by the skin of her teeth. Only the Anglican Church was not destroyed.
Finally: In Nigeria, all land is in the hands of the President and State Governors. In local communities, the power to allocate land is not really with the government; you go the the elders of your family, and pay a token fee.
He followed with a slide presentation: Center Site 2004, Groundbreaking Ceremony. Youth celebrating the Odi Ogori annual festival. Homage at the king’s palace. At Yoff Ecovillage, Dakar, Senegal. Bamboo crafts in Accra, Ghana. Computers donated. Proposed Information and Communications Technology Center. Gordon Abiama with the king. Mr. Abiama’s humble home.
He said that Odi Ecovillage is still there, with about 10,000 people, farmlands, ponds, etc., but there are other people and buildings around it. There are encroachments, things built on one extended family’s land without permission.
Someone suggested a GPS map to prevent encroachments. Gordon Abiama said they need fences around the village. Going to court is not a good solution.
Joshua Vincent asked about 1999. The Reverend Mr. Abiama said that youths were paid to go to Abujan, and demonstrate for the dictator, Sonny Abacha. After seeing the rich city, they came back and damaged oil equipment. There was a shootout, and police were killed. The authorities demanded the killers, which was not possible; some of the youths involved were not from the village.
Soldiers descended on the village, and burned it down, killing 4000 people, including old men, etc. Gordon Abiama’s mother escaped by the skin of her teeth. Only the Anglican Church was not destroyed.
Finally: In Nigeria, all land is in the hands of the President and State Governors. In local communities, the power to allocate land is not really with the government; you go the the elders of your family, and pay a token fee.
