Emma Elekwa
People of Umuneri Village, Isuaniocha in Awka North Local Government Area, Anambra State, have appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to order Anambra State Housing Development Corporation (ASHDC) to vacate their ancestral land, for peace and justice.
The locals, comprising youths, women and elderly men, made the appeal during a peaceful protest against the ASHDC, which they accused forceful acquisition of their ancestral land.
The protesters stormed Light House, Awka to register their grievances, bore placards with inscriptions such as ‘Soludo Stop the Seizure of Our Ancestral Land,’ and ‘Soludo We Can’t Eat Concrete, Save Our Farmland,’.
Others include: ‘ASHDC Stop Land Grabbing, Abide by the Consent Judgement,’ requesting Governor Soludo to compel the Corporation to pull out of their land outside 54.27 hectares granted her, among others.
Presenting the requests to the governor who was represented by Secretary to the State Government, Prof Solo Chukwulobelu, Spokesperson of the village, Mr Francis Udeh said the land issue between the community and the agency started over 20 years ago.
Lingering without resolution
He said, “Since then, a series of MDs of the ASHDC have come and gone, but none of them wanted to resolve the issue.
”We’re here to plead with our Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo whom we believe, is a just Governor, to please come to our aid.
”We have a court judgement, asking the ASHDC to stick to a consent judgement.
“Unfortunately, the ASHDC violated that consent judgement, and went ahead demolishing our buildings.
”Our people can no longer farm; we can no longer move freely on our land. As we speak right now, there are thugs and military men staged combat-ready on that land.”
Udeh further revealed that the village had unanimously agreed to give the ASHDC 54.7 hectares of the land, a kind gesture, he believed, ‘no community in the State has done.’
”We did this because we want peace. So, we are begging Soludo, for peace; let he come and help us reclaim our ancestral land,’ he appealed.
Responding, Chukwulobelu thanked the people for the peaceful protest, assuring them that their request and concerns, which he described as serious that could not be swept under the carpet, would reach the Governor.
Resolution in sight
’I am very certain that Mr Governor will come to a resolution that will solve this over 20-year long dispute. We will invite all the sides involved in the issue.
The protesters also marched to St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral, Awka, also to seek the intervention of the Awka Diocesan Bishop, Most Rev Dr Paulinus Chukwuemeka Ezeokafor, on the matter.
Another stakeholder, Mr Raphael Ezeike, narrated to Bishop Ezeokafor their ordeal and why they deemed it wise to come to seek his fatherly intervention.
He said, “We have presented our petition to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for his intervention.
”Now, we come to beg our Bishop to help us as a father, talk to the Governor to hear our cries, and the ASHDC, to leave our ancestral land.
”This is because that land is the only place we live and depend on, for means of livelihood.
”We believe they can listen to our Bishop. He is our father whom we know very well that the government and also the mighty in society listen to.
”We have given them 54.7 hectares of the land; let them leave the remaining part to us. This is our solemn request.”
Delivery to Bishop assured
Responding, Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev Fr Dr Charles Ndubuisi, who represented the Bishop informed the Umuneri people that Bishop Ezeokafor was on Ad Limina visit to Rome, assuring them that their requests would reach the Bishop.
He prayed for them, expressing readiness of the Bishop to wade into the issue, for mutual resolution and peaceful co-existence between them and the agency.
Addressing reporters, Chairman of the Village, Chief Geoffrey Udeh regretted that series of attempts to settle the issue even after the consent judgement were unsuccessful.
He said, “On several occasions, we wrote letters to the Governor, but it seems there is no headway.
”Last two years, we embarked on a protest to the Anambra State House of Assembly, on this issue, and the House intervened, inviting us for settlement, but the ASHDC continues to demolish our houses.
”During Governor Willie Obiano’s administration, we protested on this issue, but our petitions were toyed with, they did not reach the Governor. But we’re hopeful Governor Soludo will resolve the issue.”
