By Chukwudi Ebele
No fewer than 3000 indigenes of Umueze Ogwugwu village of Oba Community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, over the weekend, took to streets, in protest, against alleged invasion and takeover of their land by a government’s property developer, Bukham Group, during which buildings, farm land, cash crops, economic trees, among others, were destroyed.
The protesters, who looked visibly unhappy, bore placards with the inscriptions, such as ‘Soludo come to our rescue’, ‘We have no other place call our own land’, ‘Bukham Group in collaboration with few of our sons have sold some plots of our land’, ‘We can’t be tenants in our own land’, ‘They have destroyed our buildings, farmland’, among others.
Addressing newsmen during the protest, the President, Sir Emeka Motanya, said that property estimated at over one billion naira, including buildings, farmland, economic trees, farm produce, etc, have been destroyed, while a good number of plots of land have been illegally sold off since the commencement of the land dispute.
His words, “Just this morning they continued the destruction of our economic crops and other Property. They left the place we gave them for the building of Anambra State International Market and extended beyond that. They have almost taken possession of where we are living. Some of us, out of fear, have fled to neighbouring communities of Oraifite, Akwukwu and others.
“If no help comes our way, they will wipe us, and Oba will be eight villages instead of nine. We urge Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Hon. Harris Okonkwo representing Idemili North/South in the Green Chamber, and the Idemili South Local Government Chairman, Hon. Mrs Amaka Obi, to come to our rescue, because the developer and their agents feel we don’t have anybody to speak for us or protect us from their attack on us.”
The President, who spoke through the Secretary General, Samuel Onwukwe, reiterated that the developer should only take the portion allocated to him for the construction of the market, as agreed.
According to him, “About five months ago, it was Sonny Bigman that led a destructive team that caused severe damages to our property and buildings. Today this developer developer has continued from where Sunny Bigman stopped.”
Contributing, the Vice President of the youth wing, Hon. Chikodili Madu, recalled how their fathers spent money and got judgment at the Supreme Court on the land and called on Governor Soludo, Hon. Harrris Okonkwo and Council Chairman to come to their rescue.
Speaking, Nwagbologu Muotuanya, disclosed that the developer in collaboration with few of their sons are selling the portion they now encroach upon, “Because they feel we can’t do anything”.
“We have written many petitions to various offices on the illegal activities of these people but the petitions are dumped without asking questions,” he lamented.
The President of the women wing, Mrs. Chukwuma Rose, stated, “Umueze Ogwugwu is currently being destroyed and our buildings built by our husbands have been destroyed. The farmland, farm produce, economic trees, etc have all been destroyed and we now live in perpetual fear which prompted this protest.
“Soludo should help us because some of us are running to neighbouring communities of Oraifite, Akwukwu, etc,” she pleaded.
However, when Rev. Chris Emerie, leader of the 14-man panel of enquiry established by the Traditional Ruler of Oba, Igwe Engr Augustine Chinedu Emelobe, to restore peace in the disputed land was contacted he refuted all the allegations by the Umueze Ogwugwu Oba village against the Government developer and the said sons of Oba
According to Emerie, it is the clearing of the bushes to ascertain the demarcation of the land that is going on as agreed in the presence of the monarch who wants to ensure peace, and appointed a panel of Enquiry of which some of them from Ogwugwu are members, no structure was touched,” he revealed
Another member of the panel, Ichie Samuel Onuchukwu, stated that communities do not allocate land to government rather government acquires land, adding that the land in question was acquired by the state government during the administration of late governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju, on 30th May 2001 with some parts of land given as compensation to Ogwugwu Oba village.
