…Villagers lament destruction of farmland, send SoS to Otti
…We ‘re discussing with them – ASEPA boss
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The people of Umuokike Eziala Nsukwe, Ubakala Community in Umuahia South Local Government Area, have embarked on a peaceful protest to register their grievances over the alleged destruction of their farmland following the location of a dump site on the village land.
Lamenting the environmental impacts of the dump site in the vicinity particularly the encroachment into their farmlands, the locals comprising women, men and youths, sought the quick intervention of Governor Alex Otti.
They accused the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, of indiscriminate dumping of refuse on their land and blocking the road that leads to the original dump site in the area.
Addressing newsmen during the protest, Chairman of the Village, Mr Chiadikaobi Ezeigbo, accused ASEPA of unilaterally converting their farmland into dump site without their consent.
He said that the villagers no longer have enough land for farming activities and demanded that ASEPA should quit so they could have access to their farmlands again.
The Village’s Spokesman said that despite writing to ASEPA twice in 2024 for negotiations, the agency ignored them, and continued to dump refuse indiscriminately on their land.
He said that the agency had no right to take over their land without their consent, and wondered if Gov. Otti who he said “is a descent Governor,” was aware of the development.
On how it started, he said: “In 2017, ASEPA begged us to give them access road to the old dump site but they went behind us and started dumping refuse on our land without our consent.
“They came again around November 2023, and we told them that our women farmed on the land, and that they should wait until the crops were harvested. We told them that we needed to have agreement so we will still have our land after giving them access way to the old dump site. But they still went behind us and used refuse to block everywhere.
“We told them that we needed to have an agreement but they ignored us. We wrote them twice last year–in August and November–but they did not respond.
“Government is preaching a return to farm, and we are asking: where will our women cultivate their crops since our farmland is gone? This is causing hunger among us.
“We know that Dr Otti is a descent Governor and we doubt if he knew about this. We want him to come to our aid. We no longer want the dumping of refuse on our land.
“If ASEPA had come for dialogue we would have set boundaries for them but we will no longer allow them to take over our farmland with refuse.”
The village Spokesman further said: “We are looking forward to Abia State Government to come to our aid because we can no longer bear this. We are losing everything and nobody is giving us attention. We call on Gov. Otti to come to our rescue.”
Adding his voice, the Village Head, Chief Bartholomew Okorie, said that Government’s encroachment into the only two table lands in the village had become a serious source of worry.
He, therefore, begged Gov. Otti who he said, they have much respect for, to intervene.
“We have only two virgin table lands–this Achara land and Ogbesi–where those who called themselves Developers have also gone into. Where do they want us to farm on?
“If they can no longer keep their words, let them leave our land for us because we can’t continue to be hungry. Our children need land for farming. We love Otti and pray for him. Let him come to our rescue.”
Speaking for the womenfolk, Chidinma Agbakwuru, and Queen Uchechukwu, decried the health implications of the presence of the dump in the village.
They particularly lamented the environmental polution by smoke emanating from the site when set ablaze.
Meanwhile, a staff of the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Umuahia, located adjacent the dump site said stench oozing from the dump site was part of the reasons their staff were not excited about coming to work
The staff who pleaded not to be mentioned, said the presence of the dump site had been a thorn in the flesh of the staff of the news outfit as its premises overgrown by grass, looked deserted.
Another source said a football academy in the neighbourhood had equally received its share of the environmental pollution resulting into a decline in students’ population.
When contacted the General Manager of ASEPA, Mr Ogbonnaya Okereke, said the agency had initiated talks with the villagers, assuring that their grievances will be addressed and every difference amicably resolved.
He said: “We are talking with them to look at whatever variety of grievances that they may have, and come to a roundtable to resolve it. We met with them yesterday, and we have rescheduled another meeting next week to resolve it.”
