Indigenes, traditional ruler trade words over land for housing estate in Abia community
Indigenes, traditional ruler trade words over land for housing estate in Abia community
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu,Umuahia
The indigenes of Umunenweze Okpualla community, Okaiuga Nkwoegwu, Umuahia North LGA, have accused their traditional ruler Eze Paul Onuigbo Uzuegbu and village head chief Ejikeme Emereuwa, of illegally encroaching on, selling, and donating ancestral lands despite a 2022 court judgment nullifying Uzuegbu’s Ezeship.
Speaking through a communiqué during a protest in Government House in Umuahia on Wednesday the spokesman of the indigenes Mr okechukwu Uzuegbu,
described the actions as “brazen lawlessness, impunity, and daylight robbery.”
He said the community’s executives, elders, landowners, and residents of the community views the actions as “brazen lawlessness, impunity, and daylight robbery.”
The community also referenced Suit No. HU/59/2015, in which Hon. Justice O.A. Chijioke on March 8, 2022, declared Eze Uzuegbu’s Ezeship “null and void.”
He said, “Despite this states that Eze Uzuegbu continues to parade himself as a paramount ruler,” using thugs and compromised elements to forcefully take over lands in Umunenweze Okpualla.
“The land in question is located within Okaiuga Nkwoegwu, Umuahia North, is the rightful heritage of the community, But Eze Uzuegbu, in cahoots with Emereuwa, have violated property rights and threatened community peace.”
The community members stated that they had resolved during a community meeting that Umunenweze Okpualla land must return back to the rightful owners.
The communiqué read, “We demand immediate cessation of all illegal activities by Uzuegbu, Emereuwa, and their agents, including the submission of false letters and forged documents to the government claiming the community had relinquished land rights. Further trespass will be treated as deliberate incitement to chaos.
“We Reject all illegal land transactions. The community warned the public, estate developers, and prospective buyers that Uzuegbu and Emereuwa have no legal authority to lease, sell, donate, or allocate Umunenweze land.
“We specifically cite the alleged illegal sale of a parcel known as “Okpuijikara” to Mr. Okechukwu Ndukwe, operating through Onduk Real Estate Builders & Construction Ltd. Ndukwe has refused to obey a State High Court injunction halting development pending determination of the case filed against Uzuegbu, Emereuwa, the developers, and others. Anyone buying from them is “purchasing a costly lawsuit” and will be treated as an accomplice to land theft.
We call on law enforcement agencies for urgent intervention. We appeal to the Umuahia Police Command, the Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the Ministry of Lands to enforce the rule of law, because the actions of the deposed Eze and his cohorts risk triggering communal crisis.
While pledging commitment to peace and lawful conduct, the community said its peaceful disposition should not be mistaken for weakness, vowing to use every legal, traditional, and social mechanism to defend its inheritance.
“We thank the Government of Abia State and members of the media for standing as the voice of the oppressed. We assure our people that not an inch of our land will be lost to a thief who wears a torn cloak of former royalty and his cohorts. We stand united, and we shall prevail.” the communiqué stated.
Addressing the protesters the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government speech Hon. Magdalene Ugoanusi, commended the protesters for choosing the part of peace over violence.
She said, “I am aware that an earlier letter on this matter was sent to the Chief of Staff. I also recall that Hon. Obi Aguocha stepped in to intervene and said he would get back to you. It appears that the Chief of Staff may have been waiting on that feedback, and to my knowledge, it has not yet come.
“Given the escalation and your presence here today, I will personally contact Hon. Obi Aguocha to update him that the situation has reached another level. I will ask him to call the parties involved to order so that these actions stop.
“You did the right thing by raising this matter calmly instead of escalating it. On behalf of the government, I assure you that we will revisit the case and I will take it up directly to ensure you get an immediate response.
“Please submit a formal letter addressed to the Governor, itemizing your grievances line by line. We cannot act on verbal complaints alone; we need a written record to work from.”
When contacted the traditional said he had appealed the judgment that reportedly removed him from the throne, adding that the matter will come up in the Court of Appeal in Owerri on June 25.
He also denied the allegations of land grabbing leveled against him by the indigenes of the community, adding that the land was initially donated to the government for a secondary school project
He said, “I’m not selling any community land to any developers. The land in question was donated to the community Union over forty years ago, the union in turn donated the land to the government to build a secondary school.
The Okaiuga Nkwoegwu secondary school was built on the land, but it was later relocated to another site because of constant vandalism in the school.
“Now the government has decided to develop the land into an estate. They came down to us on a fact finding visit and the four traditional rulers from Okaiuga Nkwoegwu and the people supported the government to build the estate, who am to stop the government from developing the land that was originally donated to them over forty years ago? “
Photo: The indigenes during the protest