By Chuks Eke
Authorities of Idemili North Local Government council cf Anambra state have sealed the two motor lparks under the flyover bridge by New Auto Spare Parts Market, Nkpor-Agu, along Enugu-Onitsha Expressway over what they termed illegal activities of some irate youths.
Council Chairman, Chief Stanley Nkwoka who disclosed this to newsmen in his office at the council Secretariat, Ogidi, said reason was to avoid breakdown of law and order, and to enable parties fighting over the parks come to a round table for dialogue.
The council boss further disclosed that in 2016, a business entity known as Business Link, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the council authorities to build and beautify the motor parks under the flyover bridge, under Public Private Partnership, PPP.
Nkwoka noted that under the agreement, Business Link was to operate the park for a pediod of 10 years to recoup its monies spent in building the parks before handing it over to local government.
He further noted that the entity had so far run the business for only a period of three years, between 2016 and 2019 before youths from Amafor village in Nkpor where the parks are located forcefully came in, displaced Business Link, and started operating the parks illegally from 2019 to 2025.
Nkwoka said that when he came into office as Mayor of Idemili North, he was invited to wade into the matter which he did but later observed in the course of series of meetings that ensued that no provision for Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR was made for Amafor village in the MoU they signed from the onset.
He added that after his meeting with the Chief Emmanuel Idemili-led Amafor villagers of Nkpor and Business Link, it was agreed that 17% share would be given to the village from whatever that is realised from the parks.
“After the agreements, I invited them to my office to have a view of the document. After that, I wrote to the village that with effect from April 1, 2025, they should stop every operation in the parks, as the local government would be taking over for proper renovation and management”.
“Unfortunately, on April 1st, 2025, the villagers responded with a protest, accusing the local government of trying to take over their land. They equally brandished a document, saying that the federal government granted them licence to operate the parks. How could the FG grant somebody licence to operate parks? It not done anywhere because under the Constitution, parks and markets are under the local government Administration”.
“What I did in the midst of the protests was to mobilize security personnel and sealed off the parks, because, as local government chairman, my duty is to protect lives and property of my people. Neither Business Link nor Amafor people would have access to the parks until both parties come to a round table to make peace, and have good understanding. I don’t think fighting will be a good thing for our people now,” he emphasized.
He further denied the insinuation by Amafor community that their land was being taken forcefully, saying that nobody is interested in Amafor lands.
While cautioning Amafor youths to steer clear of the parks, Nkwoka also warned motorists to desist from parking their vehicles there or they would have their vehicles impounded.
However, in a swift reaction, Chairman of Amafor Village, Nkpor, Chief Emmanuel Idemili (aka Emma Golden) said they obtained a written permission from the Federal Ministry of Works to operate the park because the park itself is located under the Flyover which is within the purview of the Federal Ministry of Works.
Idemili noted that the owner of the Business Link, Chief Raphael Asha Nnabuife who was once the Chairman of Idemili North Local Government Transition Committee and who incidentally is also from Nkpor community but from another village known as Ububa Nkpor, approached Amafor village during his tenure as transition Committee Chairman and requested them to allow the local government beautify the environment and they agreed and granted his request.
He said the villagers did not know that Nnabuife had an ulterior motive as they later realized that on the process of beautifying the place, he now turned it into his personal enterprise after chasing away all the petty traders who were trading along the area and paying revenue tolls to the village.
He said the villagers would accept only a discussion that would include them in the equitable revenue generation and sharing formula but would not accept any agreement that would exclude the village from being a shareholder in their own land.
