Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Methodist Church of Nigeria in Enugu has carried out a protest over alleged encroachment on its land in Enugu metropolis by a businessman, Ikenna Chiakwa, a.k.a Nwa Jesus.
Aside the land, the church also protested over the demolition of the church fence by Chiakwa at the Central Methodist Church located at No 1A Zik Avenue, Uwani Enugu, where the land in dispute was domiciled.
Some reverends and members of the church who took the protest to the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) and the Enugu Government House appealed to Gov. Peter Mbah for urgent intervention.
Their placards read: “Our church land is invaded by Ikenna Chiakwa, A cry for help against land invasion by Ikenna Chiakwa,” and “Save the church from Ikenna Chiakwa.”
Addressing newsmen during the protest, the Steward and Lay Reader of the church, Mr Boniface Isienyi, said they embarked on peaceful protest because all efforts to stop Chiakwa proved abortive.
According to him, Chiakwa came to the church one fateful morning and claimed that the part of the church was his land and we thought that it was a joke until he blocked the entrance of the church with debris and gravel.
“We wrote to ECTDA who came and assessed the place and promised a meeting for both parties. We also wrote to the Governor and the Commissioner of Police in Enugu but none responded to our request.
“Few days ago, he pulled down our fence and we are calling on constituted authorities to come to save the church as we don’t want to take laws into our hands,” he said.
The church leader said the church had a Survey Plan and Certificate of Occupancy of 1993/1994 when they bought the land from the Old Anambra State and approved by Enugu State Government when it was created.
He alleged that the fence was marked for demolition and expressed surprise that in spite of the case in ECTDA, work was still going on at the site.
“We have an older survey plan and Certificate of Occupancy of the land and what our contender has is just something of 2014 or 2013 done by a none registered surveyor.
“Last time he came here, he was parading with thugs but we don’t want to take laws into our hands because we are law abiding citizens,” he said.
Responding, the Head Administration, ECTDA, Mr Gideon Onyia, noted that the issue of the land came up last year when a letter was written to Mbah who minuted the letter down to them.
He explained that he personally visited the site and video was made where chippings, sand and bamboo were used to block a gate leading to the church.
“After that, I made a report,” he said.
Onyia said ECTDA duty was on structure, explaining that it did not settle land matters but give approval for development on lands.
“If the land is encumbered, we minute to the ministry of land. What we are in charge is the structure on the land.
“So when we saw their request, we prepared a letter to the Ministry of Land and Survey General, who could come up with the reestablishment of the survey plan if need be.
“If the survey says the land belong to Methodist Church or Chiakwa, it is their judgment, what we will do is the enforcement of the development on the land,” he said.
Onyia said that ECTDA asked them to stop work at the site but was surprised to hear that work was ongoing there.
The Admin. head said that he was not aware that the church fence was marked for removal.
When contacted, Chiakwa described the church’s allegations as “unfounded” saying that he acquired his land through due process.
“What actually happened was that after I acquired the property, I levelled it because the land was not same level.
“When the excavator did the levelling, the height of my own was bigger than theirs and I went to them and demanded they should allow me to fortify the fence but they refused.
“I have gone there repeatedly to allow me do it. We will schedule for a meeting but the reverend in the church will not show up.
“I have reported to everybody I know about the development until they decided to protest against me,” he said.
He said he had the document with the Certificate of Occupancy concerning the land in which the church was claiming ownership.
When asked if Journalists could sight the documents, he said he had deposited it even with the photocopies with the ECTDA.
“If they said they have documents of that portion of land in dispute, they forged it because their own part of the land had been settled many years ago by fencing it while the one I bought is empty which I am building,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that when the members protested to Government House, they were told that Mbah, his Deputy, Mr Ifeanyi Ossai and Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, were not around to address them.
