The people of Ibeku-Opi community, Nsukka Local government Area of Enugu State have appealed to Governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to come to their aid and commence work on the proposed site of an ultramodern housing estate at Ekama-Ida.
The proposed estate would be handled by the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, ESHDC.
The community made the appeal during a visit to the office of the Managing Director, Enugu State Housing Development Corporation in Enugu where they described the project as life-changing initiative to their community.
Reacting to some purported online publications by one Bar. Ikedi Abonyi that the designated land for the project was under contention, the President General of the Community, Comrade John Uchenna Abonyi said the entire community was surprised to hear that a member of the community is opposing such golden opportunity coming to them after many years without government present in their area.
Abonyi described the allegation as baseless, false, malicious, and handiwork of disgruntled elements who wished the community would continue to remain in darkness.
“We are here to appeal to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu state, Hon Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi not to listen to the rumormongers.
“The land belongs to Ekama-Ida family which I am part of. It is not even a communal land, and we agreed to give to the government for the project. My anger is that this portion of land had remained fallow for decades, and has become den of robbers.
“Please your Excellency, we want you to move your bulldozers tomorrow and save the community,” they pleaded.
Other indigenes of the area including the immediate past deputy Chairman, Nsukka LGA, Mr. Cosmas Agbo and Mr. Eze Onyebuchi alleged that Barrister Ikedi Abonyi has a stumbling block to every development coming to the community noting that all his allegations to stop the project weren’t new to the people.
They added that the Barr. Abonyi even threatened to fight the government if he was not settled, and appealed to the government to ignore such an empty threat.
Responding, the Managing Director, Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Mr. Lambert Chukwuemerie Agu stated that the Corporation negotiated and acquired about 3 hectares of land-based on request and presentation by the Ekama-Ida landowners for the purpose of ultra-modern housing estate development, noting that the Corporation has never forced any group of people or community to give out her land for housing development
Mr. Agu maintained that the Corporation was shocked at the magnitude of photo-shopping engaged by Mr. Ikedi Abonyi in posting photographs of vehicles that do not belong to the leadership of the corporation, with the aim of tarnishing the good image of the Corporation and its leadership.
“There was never a time the leadership of the Corporation instigated any assault on Mr. Abonyi over land or any other issue whatsoever. The corporation hereby called on the public to disregard this campaign of calumny aimed at tarnishing the image of the Corporation and undermining the good works of His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Enugu state, Rt. Hon Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi at bringing development closer to the people.”
The MD Housing thanked the leadership of Ibeku-Opi Community for the visit and assured them of Governor Ugwuanyi’s commitment to open up rural areas for the betterment of the people and to create opportunities for investors.
