-Accuses Nwakanma, Onwukaike Of Complicity
The people of Umunwanyi village in Umuguma Autonomous Community of Owerri West Local Government Area, last weekend carried out a peaceful protest in the Village to express their grievances over the alleged complicity of some persons in facilitating the incessant grabbing of their major farm lands.
The protest which was specifically carried out at the areas of the affected farm lands situating at Umunwanyi–Irete Road in Umuguma, was led by the chairman of the village, Comrade Ofurum Iheanyichukwu Cyril and his other executive members.
The protest which commenced at about 9.30am had over five hundred participants with placards bearing different inscriptions as: Umunwanyi is not happy; Umuguma land is not for sale, keep off; the land belongs to Umunwanyi village and Land grabbers should keep off.
Speaking to news men during the protest, the chairman, Comrade Ofurum Cyril, said: “the essence of our gathering here today is to show our displeasure over the information at our disposal concerning the encroachment of some persons claiming to be government representatives into our lands at Umunwanyi–Irete Road”.
The chairman also stated that the said land encroachment had started for sometime now and such actually made them to write letters to the appropriate quarters as a notification, stressing that their recent involvement in the physical peaceful protest was to complement their earlier complaints to the government for better understanding.
In furtherance of his interaction, comrade Ofurum mentioned one Don Linus Onwukaike and Hon. Paschal Nwakanma (Dum Dum) who is the special Adviser to the state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, on Land Recovery as alleged architects of land grabbing in Umunwanyi village.
He frowned at a situation where Don Onwukaike who is a long term resident in their place could allegedly take part in perfecting most of the illegal land transactions in same place that gave him full accommodation and protection, advising him to retrace his steps.
He added that mr. Onwukaike was allegedly found to be executing most of his land grabbing activities with the assistance of some security operatives and dropping of government name.
The vibrant young leader submitted that the information his village had earlier obtained from the Ministries of Lands and Housing Corporation revealed that those affected farm lands classified under the following names: Kpokrikpo, Udi, Eboh, Ugbahameze and Ahaba farm lands did not show any trace of state government acquired status therein.
In a similar vein, another son of Umunwanyi Village and a respected stakeholder, Dr. Emma Okorocha, corroborated what the chairman, comrade Ofurum earlier opined in respect to the existing land grabbing which was allegedly masterminded by some persons in Umuguma, but added that those affected persons were always dropping the name of their lovely state governor in order to succeed in their illegal land acquisition.
Okorocha stated that one of the persons fingered in the illegal land dealings in Umunwanyi village, Don Linus Onwukaike, had lived in their village over the years without any provision of social projects to their community, Umuguma, in general.
He recounted that it was few years ago that mr. Onwukaike allegedly lured some illiterate Umunwanyi elders and took their signatures for the said illegal land transaction, asserting that such forced over 150 indigenes of their village to meet with him and his acclaimed lawyer as soon as they got the wind.
Continuing, Dr. Okorocha reiterated that it was at that point that mr.Onwukaike espunged the signatures of those elderly illiterate persons, stating that he was surprised that same Nwakaike allegedly came back to refer those lands as government acquired property.
He stated thus: “if government had required a particular portion of land in the state, there must be a procedure of acquisition and compensation which none of his village persons was aware of”.
The erudite scholar said that over two thousand plots of land were involved in their alleged illegal land transacrions, stressing that his people recently woke up to discover that over 50 armed policemen and soldiers were assisting some group of persons to bulldoze their farm lands, adding that they had reported to the government with a view to getting some positive responses.
Okorocha used same avenue to warn those tarnishing the good name of governor Hope Uzodimma in connection to the ongoing illegal land possession to desist from such antics, clarifying that the governor has been very straight forward on issues concerning lands in the state.
He re- echoed that the governor’s recent appointment of Barr. Enyinnaya Onuegbu as a state Commissioner for Lands, Survey and physical planning was a clear evidence of his uprightness in land dealings in the state.
Meanwhile, the protesters took their complaint to the traditional ruler of Umuguma, HRH Eze George Nnamdi Ugorji and to the Chairman of Ojukwu- Homa Kindred, mr. Innocent Okoroafor, whose two subjects, Chimamkpa Onumajuru and John Anukam were accused of conspiracy in the whole land racketeering.
 | ReplyForwardAdd reaction |
