*or..face battery of law suits, community threatens
From Chuks Collins, Awka
The Isiagu Community in Awka South Council of Anambra State has issued a 7-day ultimatum to one Prof Patrick Emeka Nwabueze, a retired professor of Theatre/Film Studies and native of Awka, the Anambra state capital, within which publish a retraction and also tender an apology over his recent media publication which cast the community and its leadership in bad light as fraudsters and land sharks.
Addressing select journalists yesterday at the Isiagu Community’s central square called Ogbo Obodobo, at a press briefing, called at the instance of the Isiagu Community Union in conjunction with her Lands Committee headed by Hon Sunday Ozumba; and the President General, Hon Udochukwu Nnebedum insisted the community leadership knows nothing about the land question as it’s never their mandate.
Describing the issue “as purely a private land transaction between Prof Nwabueze and the Nwandelekwe Nwosi Family (the Christian Nwosu, aka Ozonnia)that went smoothly for years until one unnamed and faceless and speculator got involved.
The transaction according to a report by the land arbitration committee’s chairman, Chief Sunday Ozumba and his Secretary Barrister Sir Ben Nwankwo, was between Prof Nwabueze and the Nwandelekwe family.
Barrister Ben Nwankwo who is also the palace Legal Adviser/Secretary stated that the said land was located and bounded by other parcels of lands belonging to other families including Nweke Ube/Anagor and Ekwunife families lands.
That the now troubled transaction done and perfected more than three years ago in 2020, was without any perceived or reported rancour. And the community was never informed or brought into the picture, until this misunderstanding broke out.
Incidentally, the Land Committee according to Ozumba only comes into any land transaction in the community from the perspective of authentication of ownership, or on boundary disputes, especially where any of the parties involved is not a native of Isiagu.
Ozumba, just like the secretary of his Committee (Barrister Ben Nwankwo) emphasized that it was a copious provision of the committee’s Terms of Reference. Again, Ozumba pointed out that the Land Committee knows nothing about any of the money being mentioned in this particular instance. “Because we do not handle or deal on money issues at all,” he stressed.
“My committee, just like in the present instance is often oblivious of the transactions or the details therein, if the parties remain aloof or sidestep us.
“It’s only when they run into rough weather that they approach the Land Committee, Ozumba added.
The PG equally pointed out the severe and urgent need for Prof Nwabueze and his lieutenants to immediately remedy the scandalous wild accusations against his ever peaceful community with a well articulated retraction statement and apology within seven days. Else, his community would be left with no choice than to seek immediate legal redress.
Nnebedum expressed the shocking embarrassment the offensive publication has put the community’s sons and daughters globally especially their monarch, HRH Igwe Augustine Nwankwo. He said the smear effect of the unwarranted malicious and misleading allegations were unimaginable.
According to the him, neither the monarch nor any palace chief or himself as the PG ever dabbles into land transactions.
Nnebedum also revealed that their investigation, as collaborated by Christian Nwosu (Ozonnia) who is the spokesperson for the land owners has so refunded above three million Naira to Prof Nwabueze, long before he launched media attack on the leaders of the community who have nothing to do with the land transaction. They lamented on why Nwabueze prompted his media team to scandalize the leadership of Isiagu community without any justification.
More so that it was indeed suspicious that neither Prof Nwabueze nor any of his spokespersons bothered to acknowledge refund of the above three million Naira already openly as he did with other details of the transaction. Again, that they have worked out schedule to complete the refund of his remaining balance of Four million Naira(N4m) between May 17,2024 and August 17, 2024.
Again, the land owners as well as their agents were arrested and detained. While some are reported to still being withheld by the police.
Prof Nwabueze, Ozonnia stated was instrumental to the delay in his refund process as the University of Nigeria’s ex- professor initially refused to take back his money. That he(Nwabueze) had insisted on being provided an alternative location since the initial site was now found to be slightly encumbered.
Ozonnia revealed also that he urged Prof Nwabueze to exercise a little more patience to enable his family provide him new site, but he appeared confused until now.
When a call was put across to Prof Nwabueze on why he went on to accuse and tarnish the image of those who had no hand in the transaction or his predicament thereto, in his media publications. He put the blame on his ex-students who came to his aid when they learnt of his predicament.
