Says ;2000 Hectares Of Land Too Much For Religious Purpose When Indigenes Lack Lands For Agricultural Purposes
Leaders of the six communities of Mbaishi bloc in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State has demanded the release of two thousand hectares of their farmlands acquired by the Zion Ministries through the government of Imo State.
The leaders who spoke to the press on January 7th, 2025 described the forceful acquisition of their farmlands by the Zion ministry as economic genocide, stressing that the Mbaishi bloc, a basically agricultural and food producing communities is under threat and in serious danger because their major source of livelihood has been taken from them without due process or compensation.
They disclosed that their lands are under serious invasion which has metamorphosed into crisis for seven months, saying that they have applied many genuine strategies, including taking legal actions and writing to the state government and the Catholic church to retrieve their lands but all to no avail.
Addressing the Press, Dr. Sam Amadi, a renowned Public Affairs Analyst who is an illustrious son of Ngor Okpala, one of those affected by the land invasion and the spokesperson of the group stated in his words,
“This is a press conference for peace, not for war or conflict. I speak as the Spokesperson of the leaders of the six communities affected by the land invasion in Ngor Okpala. I am representing them to articulate and help resolve the crisis because of the greater implications for economic and security stability of both Ngor Okpala and the entire Imo State.
“The people of the six communities of Ngor Okpala are not in any way opposed to either the state government or the zion ministry in their evangelical commitment and development efforts. The people of Ngor Okpala are religious people. We have Catholic church, we have Anglican church and Pentecostal church and other churches. It is a thing of joy for the people of these communities to receive any other church even the zion ministry. These communities even have members or supporters of the zion ministry. They are not opposition to the good evangelical work the zion ministry is doing. Ngor Okpala people are good christians, religious people and peace loving people. The community is not being instigated by any political group or politician to fight a proxy way either with the state government or the zion ministry or Evangelist Ebuka Obi himself.
“This press conference is to say that the manner of entry and the acquisition of those lands is now a matter of severe security challenge to the state, to the community and to Ngor Okpala. I went to these communities on their invitation and I saw that about four of those communities do not have any other farming land for this season. If these acquisition stands as it is today, these communities will not have anywhere to farm. We call this economic genocide because land is central to the growth, wellbeing and economic survival of any community in this part of the world particularly Ngor Okpala that has no industries and no public amenities.
“Basically the lives of members of these communities are tied to what they produce from the land. This is a matter of economic survival, not a luxury.
We know that churches have the right to establish and purchase lands, therefore any church can come into any community and negotiate to have the right to own a land in line with the Nigerian constitution. Church business or ministry is a private business and we know that under the Nigerian law no power is granted to any person irrespective of position to forcefully take anyone’s land for any purpose except it is for the public interest. Both the land use act, the constitution, all the principles the supreme court has laid is simple that the only stance the government can reasonably acquire private property is when:
1. That acquisition is in pursuit of public interest,
2 After fair and adequate compensation has been negotiated and paid based on market value.
There is no way or condition that will make church or ministry with all the good faith that their proprietors have that can translate in any way to public interest and so the government of Imo State, ministry of works should know that Zion ministry, a reputable ministry is not for public purpose as such, any land acquired by any ministry whether Deeper Life, Redeemed Christian church or any other church is a private acquisition and not public.
“The contention of these acquisitions suggest two things,
1. Is misuse of government power/authority, that means government using its power to acquire private property,
2. Is utter disrespect for these six communities and the people of Ngor Okpala. Even if there is need to acquire these lands, there should be peaceful and sustained negotiations with families and communities whose lands are involved in the acquisition before any action is taken. What these communities witnessed is invasion, military force and lands taken in a manner that suggests military conquest. The report I got when I went to see the lands was that the people woke up and saw Military people brandishing guns as those lands are being surveyed. This should never happen in a democratic state.
“At this moment we demand that Imo state government should desist forthwith. Further act of incursion will be interpreted as direct act of war against these communities because it is about their survival and the future of their children.
“2000 hectares of land anywhere in the world is too much for any religious group. There is no reason on mother earth why a ministry should require 2000 hectares of land belonging to poor people whose basic means of livelihood depends on the land. If government has created industrial corridors in the whole of these six communities, we can now say that these families uprooted from their farmlands will have alternative means of livelihood. This is why we call it economic genocide.
“The reason why I intervened as a leader in Ngor Okpala is because I don’t want to come home and hear that youths have taken up arms because of violation of their rights or that there is altercation between the military and youths and people are being killed. This is the genesis of this case. We should not import tragedy in Ngor Okpala. There should be a peaceful resolution of this crisis. If the people of these six communities decide to dispose their lands, then the lands will be sold under normal circumstance. The community has no problem with the state government, the zion ministry or Ebuka Obi but the communities need to survive”.
