Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has appealed to Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State to intervene in alleged land fraud by some officials of the Enugu State Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources.
In a petition to the governor signed by Mr Olu Omotayo (Esq), President of CRRAN, the organisation said the officials had approached the Environmental Protection Court of Enugu State presided over by His lordship H.C. Asogwa Esq. a Chief Magistrate Grade 1, vide an ex parte application in Suit No: EPC/E/01C/2023.
Olu said the Honorable Court granted an ex parte order as per the claim of the ministry to wit: “1. An Order directing the defendants and his cohorts to stop commercial business on the verge of the road.
He said: “An Order in the alternative directing the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources Enugu State, to sanitize the area so as to maintain environmental compliance in accordance with the mandate of the Ministry.”
According to him: “This Order is an innocent order of court to remove those artisans planting and selling flowers beside the road on the way towards Ebeano tunnel, almost opposite the abandoned Enugu State Diagnostics Center.”
The petitioner, however, alleged that, the officials of the ministry, turned around after securing order from the court, to invade the area with bulldozers and labourers on Friday 9th June 2023.
“They started damaging the properties of the flower traders without giving them any prior notice,” he said.
According to the petitioner, Mr. Nnamoko the leader of the traders, said they were surprised that, “immediately after the demolition, some people started digging foundation on the land and a man who claimed to be a developer said he wanted to construct a shopping mall on the land.”
“Mr. Nnamoko further stated that the land in question is Railway Corporation land,” Omotayo said.
The CRRAN claimed that building any structure on the piece of land would distort the master plan of that area and pleaded to the governor to discipline the officials involved and stop forthwith the illegal building on the piece of land.
“We, therefore, urge you to take urgent necessary disciplinary action against the affected government officials who perpetrated this dastardly act.
“The Court was misled in granting the ex parte order and the officials thereafter sold the narrow land to the so called developer who is now carrying out construction work thereat.
“Whatever structure built on that place is in grave violation of Extant Town Planning Laws of Enugu State which must be resisted by the good government of Enugu State,” the petitioner said.
