Enugu Community Tackles ENSG Over Alleged Forceful Invasion Of Their Land

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Thursday, April 7th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The people of Ugwunani Community, Abor in the Udi council area of Enugu state, have accused the state government of invading and forcefully taken their land located at the outskirt of Trans Ekulu and phase 6 areas of the state.

Chairman of the Community’s land peace Committee, Dr. Jude Ike Okolo who made the feelings of the people known yesterday in an interview with Newsmen in Enugu shortly after a peaceful demonstration at the disputed land, advised the government to better vacate the said land.

He said some agents of the Enugu state government through the Mr. Chukwuemelie Agu led State Housing Development Corporation, had in November last year, invaded the land which is over two thousand plots and embarked on a massive destruction of properties on it.

“The General Manager of the Enugu State Housing Corporation, Mr. Chukwuemelie Agu, has no regard for our people, that is why he did not deem it necessary to come to our village to have a dialogue with us.

“He just picked a few of our people, who easily connived with him to work against our collective interest.

“Remember I told you that we have already plotted, surveyed, registered and shared this land to our people. Some people have fenced theirs, even started erecting structures on them.

“All these things were destroyed, with beacons and gates uprooted and damaged, including economic trees and crops on people’s farm.

Okolo, added that his people could not resort to violence in their agitation because they wouldn’t want to disrupt the existing peace ushered in by the state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

In his comment, Secretary of Ugwunani town Union, Mr. Josephat Ekete said the peaceful protest was staged so as to let the world and the public know that the state government through the State’s Housing Development Corporation had exceeded the boundary in the disputed land.

He recalled that in the year 2015, over two hundred and sixty plots of the Community’s ancestral land was ceded to the Enugu state government based on some promises that were never kept.

According to him, some of the promises were amongst others, to grade and Asphalt an access road to the layout. Provision of basic amenities such as water, health care facilities, rural electrification, as well as reconstruction and maintenance of rural roads.

The Secretary added that the only option for the state government is to vacate the land, adding that people who bought lands from the disputed area, now see the people of the Community as Fraudsters. Which they are not.

Efforts by Our Correspondent to speak with the state housing Corporation Boss hit the rock as his mobile phone was not available as at the time of filing this report.