By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew | Owerri
The people of Uratta communities in Owerri North council of Imo State have warned land grabbers who parade themselves as agents of the government to stop forthwith from trespassing into their ancestral lands or face their wrath.
They said that they may not continue to remain calm or control their youths who are battle ready to descend on anyone seeing trying to illegally or forcefully take away their inheritance or desecrate their lands.
In a press conference held in Owerri, the Uratta people who spoke under the aegis of Uratta Development Association, UDA also advised the said intruders to respect the existing court injuction restrainting further encroachment in their lands.
Speaking, Chief Stanley Ukaga (National President), Barr. Ezekiel Oparah (Secretary General), Prince Chidi Nwaneri (Publicity Secretary), Chief Uzoma Aguamanam, (Assistant Publicity Secretary) among other executive members of UDA called on the state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma to investigate the matter with a view of stopping the unlawful possession of their ancestral lands by those who they described as agents of destabilisation, and being sponsored to tarnish his reputation by their illegitimacy.
Ukaga said, “a closer look at the faces of all Uratta sons and daughters will tell you that we are not happy because our ancestral pieces of land are being taken away from us with impunity and brute force.
“The areas currently being affected are in Orji Uratta, Owaelu Uratta and Owalla Uratta. It’s also rumored that their illegitimate activity is planned to extend to Umunahu Uratta.
“Truthfully, having conceded the numerous hectares of land to the State government, we have reserved the remaining ones for our farms, children and grandchildren. We do not have any land remaining apart from these and have none again to cede.
“If the state government allows these land grabbers to continue in their activities unchecked, it could lead eventually to the breakdown of law and order in future. As it will be difficult to continue to remain calm and restrain our youths who are boiling seeing their future lands and farms being forcibly possessed.”
Ukaga continued, “the lands acquired by the past government of H.E Sen. Rochas Okorocha for which a tripartite MOU was signed, between the then State government, the Amata community and the Orji community is subsisting and clearly delineated and demarcated in the MOU.
“Let these people if indeed they are from the government and working with the full knowledge and authority of His Excellency Sen. Hope Uzodinma, confine themselves to the areas as spelt out in the existing MOU.
“We advise the land grabbers to stop forthwith from trespassing into our peoples lands and farms. We also warn all those who may be tempted to buy these lands that the matter is in court and court injunctions have been obtained restraining further activities on these lands.”
“The entire Uratta Clan condemns these acts in their entirety and implores His Excellency to call the land grabbers to order.
“We perceive these land grabbers as agents of destabilisation, who are perfecting their plans to create bad blood between us and His Excellency.”
