Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The people of Obeagu and Amechi Uwani both in Awkunanaw, community of Enugu State have staged massive protests over the take over of their ancestral land through fraudulent means by Enugu State Government and it’s agents
The protesting youths with their masquerades barricaded the main road to the city, with placards and chants of “Ugwuanyi leave our land for us; Ugwuanyi leave our land alone; This is our ancestral land, we have no other place to go.”
They accused the governor of using his agents and surrogates to illegally acquire their land through the back door.
The protesters vowed to resist any attempt by the state government to turn them into destitute in their own home.
“We will die to defend our land. It is our inheritance, we have no where to go,” the protesters said.
Speaking, the Igwe of Obeagu, Awkunanaw Community, HRH Mike Nnukwu, said it was heart-breaking for a few individuals to obliterate “our people.”
“It breaks my heart to stand here to speak to you over something that our forefathers hoped will bring us shared prosperity but is now the source of shared pain and anguish.
“It really breaks my heart to be speaking to you over what should have been developed into an orchard of prosperity for our people but which has become the albatross of our affliction
“Since 2009, our people have been randomly arrested, imprisoned and even murdered because some persons who had the privilege of leadership decided that it was our ancestral heritage that should become their gold mine,” the monarch said.
Nnukwu informed that the original land proposed for the permanent site of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) was 318 hectares by the former Anambra State Governor, Sen. Jim Nwobodo.
“However, many years later, after Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani moved the site of the proposed University to his hometown in Agbani, some people miraculously expanded the proposed 318 hectares to become 1097 hectares brazenly covering even a portion of my palace – one of our traditional symbols of unity as well as other places of traditional value.
“We cried to this Government of His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and that Certificate of Occupancy was graciously revoked,” he said.
According to him, earlier this year: “In a stunning consent judgment, we were greeted with another attempt to place a legal seal over the quantum illegality by these land grabbers, even when we applied to join the suit but were not heard.
“If they had stopped there, we would have followed the same processes of court which we have initiated in numerous suits, including our application to join the very suit wherein which the consent judgment was acquired, to protect the legal rights of our people
“We are now being led like hapless bondmen to the slaughter as the series of announcements on print media and on the radio suggest that they have, this time, conscripted the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority to finalise their planned subjugation.”
Igwe, however, said he had the confidence of the character of the leadership of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority.
“I understand that the Chairman is one person who appreciates the position of legal jurisprudence especially with court orders specifically ordering against any demolitions in our place.
“We have opened communications with them and hope that they will not present themselves as tools to facilitate anarchy in Enugu State.
“I can also confidently note that if there is one legacy assiduously pursued by the administration of Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, it has been one of sustained peace within the state.
“Any suggestion that this administration will support any action that will plunge our community into turmoil and guaranteed anarchy is therefore totally alien.
“It is also near impossible to imagine that the current government would wish to usher in the incoming administration with a parting trojan horse of crisis.
“It is my prayer that those elected and appointed to serve us, continue to hearken to the voice of reason, so that they do not leave us worse off than they met us,” he said.
He advised the youths to shun acts capable of truncating the peace of the state while all efforts were being made to put things in proper perspective.
He said: “I share in your pain but consider it important to stress that you remain peaceful and law-abiding and that as your leaders, we will continue to do our best to ensure that we preserve our heritage until we can hand it over to the next generation as our fathers handed it over to us.
“I also reiterate my earlier appeal from this morning to security agencies.
“I implore them to decline to be used as tools to arbitrarily arrest our people, as has been the case before now, tacitly providing cover for illegality, “
The spokesperson for Amechi Uwani, Chief Sunday Nnaji, lamented that he and his people had no other place to go if their land was demolished.
He claimed that the name ‘Centenary” was fraud, adding that there was nothing like Centenary.
“It was the Managing Director of Private Estate International West Africa Ltd, Kingsley Ezeh, who later changed to “Tenecy” that concocted the name Centenary, ‘ he said.
The Enugu Capital Development Authority had issued a 7 day ultimatum asking the aborigines to vacate the marked area.
In reaction, the PRO of ECDA said they were acting on directives, adding that those involved have been informed of the demolition.
He said the enforcement was based on the order of Enugu High Court which gave a consent order.
