By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri
The people of Umuoke Umuagiriga Uborji Okuku in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State have cautioned the Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Noble Atulegwu and some selected indigenes of the area to leave their ancestral farm land.
The community alleged that the land, referred to as Amabekee, is a farm land where they cultivate crops for their livelihood, saying they cannot fold their hands while intruders use the name of government to hijack their only remaining farm land.
Mr. Uka Henry, who spoke for the community during their peaceful protest, staged at the area, on Monday, the people alleged that the Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Noble Atulegwu, conspired with some persons in the area to forcefully take their ancestral land for their own selfish gains at the expense of the people who he stated are predominantly subsistent farmers, hinting that there was no time the Imo State Government led by Governor Hope Uzodimma had approached them to give out their land for any kind of development by the government.
“Unfortunately, the Imo State Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Noble Atulegwu and some selected private estate developers came to us with police and told us that Imo State Government has taken our land and cunningly did not tell us the reason for taking our land. We resisted them because we had no such negotiation with government at any giving time. They use the name of government to grab our land in their own selfish interest. In fact, there was never any prearrangement with government about taking our farm land for any kind of development. Our Land Committee derailed in protecting the Amabekee Farm Land and we must defend our land from being grabbed, hence we call on government to warn those giving it bad name to leave our land for us to save us from hunger and peril”, Uka maintained.
Expressing disappointment and pain over the intrusion of their land by the Lands Commissioner and his accomplices, second elderly man in the community, Sampson Ohanyere who was identified as the youths Chairman of Umuoke/Umuagriga Land Association, Morgan Egejuru and Mrs. Bridget Ihekaire, appealed to Governor Hope Uzodimma to look into the issue of land grabbing, caution, sanction the Commissioner and those who connive with him to forcefully and allegedly intrude to take their only remaining farm land.
“Let them leave our farm land to enable us feed well. Governor Hope Uzodimma is a good man, a pragmatic leader who has listening ear. He is not greedy. He is not a bully. This is why we are begging him to intervene and stop those intruders from stealing our farm land. We will continue to give our maximum support to the Shared Prosperity led administration for the full rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery of Imo State”, they posited.
Thus, the protesters carried placards with different inscriptions like “Umuoke/Umuagiriga Land Owners Association, We Are Not Happy Oooh, Leave Our Land For Us. Commissioner for Lands, Noble Atulegwu, Stop Using The Name of His Excellency, Hope Uzodimma, To Grab Our Land”.
