By Chuks Eke
More facts emerged yesterday as to why some security operatives chased away some indigenes of Amafor village, Nkpor in Idemil North Local Government Area of Anambra state with sporadic gunshots from a mini motor park under the Flyover adjacent to New Auto Spare Parts Market, Nkpor along the Enugu/Onitsha Expressway.
The armed operatives on masks had stormed the park mid last week and ordered road transport workers collecting revenues from vehicles and some mini traders doing brisk businesses under the Flyover to vacate the park with immediate effect as according to them, the mini park belongs the the state government and as such, government has not authorized them to occupy the place for any reason what soever.
After the operatives chased everybody away from the park and left, members of the Amafor villagers, in conjunction with their supporters, led by the Village Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Idemili embarked on a peaceful demonstration, with placards saying that they were duly authorized by the state government to collect revenue from under the Flyover and render an account according.
Speaking to newsmen during the demonstration, Chief Idemili accused the former Chairman of the Local Government Transition Committee, Chief Raphael Asha Nnabuife whom they said is an indigene of Nkpor but not from Anafor village of instigating their chasing out from the flyover because he wanted to forcefully take over the revenue collection from the villagers
But in a reaction, Nnabuife in a reaction denied instigating their chasing out from the park, describing them as mere gold diggers who want to reap where they did not sow.
However, in clearing the air converting the crisis, ,the State Governmenated that the park in question belongs to it and not Amafor community as claimed by the chairman of the community, Chief Emmanuel Idemili.
Briefing newsmen through the Managing Director, MD, of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA, Mr. Mark Okoye, the government disclosed that the state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with a private investor, Business Link Limited and formed a partnership to manage the park on its behalf, adding that the partnership is called Anambra Business Link Limited.
The MD, who addressed newsmen at the ANSIPPA headquarters, Awka, through his Executive Director, Hon. Ejike Osisioma, reiterated that the activities of Amafor people in the park by collecting money were illegal vowing that for the one year they illegally collected money in the park, the money so collected must be refunded as the only authorized body to collect revenue there and remmit same to State Government was the Business Link Limited.
Recalling how the MoU was signed in October 25, 2016, between the State Government and Business Link, he said the park in question has been a refuse dump, den for armed robbers and traffic gridlock axis and at night all these hoodlums, armed robbers sleep there and terrorize innocent citizens.
“So somebody came up with an idea to the State Government on how to make the place clean, green and beautiful. Government bought the idea and the person went to Lagos to under study the fly-over bridges and on return, the government had an MoU with his idea which is the Business Link Limited.
“The Business Link funded the whole thing there that included the beautification with flowers, cleanliness, among others, with her own money. The only contribution of the State government is that it owns the park. The Business Link collects revenue there on behalf of the State Government and the life span for the revenue collection is 10 years, subject to renewal.
“We as ANSIPPA don’t manage the park or finance nor control it. The only person authorized based on the MoU to collect revenue on behalf of State Government is Business Link. We only interface between the State Government and the private investor, that is Business Link,” he further affirmed.
“The shootings and attack from these security men may have come from the former transition chairman of Idemili North Local Government Area, Chief Raphael Nnabife Ashia, because when he was the transition Committee chairman, he sacked us from the parks, telling us that the parks were owned and controlled by the State government and not the Amafor community.
Reacting also, a former Commissioner in the State who pleaded anonimity confirmed that the park belonged to the State Government, recalling that the Amafor community was paid compensation when the land was taken over by the government.
