Chinedum Elekwachi
It was jubilation galore in Umuaroli village, Onitsha in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State as members of the Agwuzani family finally gained access into their ancestral land.
The Agwuzani family was said to have been denied access to the said land known as the Ogwugwu Agbu by land grabbers over 15 years.
The jubilant family members during the visit to the land, chanted solidarity songs in appreciation to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for intervening in the matter and rescuing them from the hands of oppressors.
They were accompanied to the land by government security operatives for fear of attack by the land grabbers and some security personnel allegedly on their payroll, who had prevented the family from entering the land.
Addressing newsmen during the visit, head of the Agwuzani family, Comrade Sunday Ogoazi, disclosed that the land measured over 1,000 hectares, adding that they gave government two third of it and were compensated.
He said it was the compensated portion the land grabbers encroached on which led to litigation.
He said, “When we proceeded to court, the court directed that no one should enter the land until judgement is given.
Court order defiled
“Last year, the court eventually gave its judgement, but when we come here, they will use security to chase us away, threatening to kill us.
“Now, after the judgement, we wrote the governor with the entire judgement details from the courts, to come and assist us to access our land.
“The governor, in his magnanimity, answered us and intervened and gave us respite over those who oppress us.
“That is why we are here to appreciate the governor for rescuing us from the hands of the land grabbers and oppressors.
“It was so unfortunate that the security men here have been working with the land grabbers.
“They have been providing them security and preventing us, the original owners of the land from going to our ancestral land.
“They mounted signposts and were selling our land as estate. How can someone from Ebonyi or Imo state, all of a sudden, have lands in Anambra to sell as estate?
“It was our Governor’s timely intervention that salvaged the situation.”
Our forefather farmed here
Also speaking, treasurer of the family, Mr Azubuike Ejiamike revealed how their forefathers farmed on the ancestral lands before the coming of the Europeans.
“When we saw the benefits of Western education, they embraced it and gave the land to one Awasi Ejikeme from Nkpor, to be farming, after whose death, the children continued farming on the land.
“Now, about 15 years ago, when we wanted to enter the land about 15 years ago, there was a misunderstanding between the family members and we went to court.
“Now, after the disagreement was resolved about a year ago, we realized that security men had encroached on the land and were selling our lands.
“That was when we reached out to the governor. This intervention of his will remain indelible in our lives,” he posited.
On his part, another member of the family, and Head, Medical Records Department at the Guiness Eye Centre, Onitsha, Comrade Peter Ogoazi Olisa regretted that the land had for long proved inaccessible to them.
“Today, the Soludo administration has salvaged us from these land grabbers, operating in connivance with vigilante operators, who are masquerading as security people, while running an estate business.
“Imagine where a vigilante operative is having an estate in someone’s ancestral land.
“This land, the agreement was reached in 1910, with the colonial masters and the land was gazette. The evidence is still in the archive and we brought it.
Governor’s enquiries
He said the governor had requested for time to inquire into the authentic ownership of the land. “After the enquiries, he concluded that the land belongs to the Agwuzani family.
“He even told the land grabbers to come forward with any evidence, but none of them could prove anything beyond reasonable doubt.
“So, the governor concluded that the land belongs to us and he fostered our smooth takeover of our land by providing us security to enable us access our land.
“This is evidence of good governance and transparency, which will foster development and public trust in government.
“Today, the governor has also provided us pipe-borne water and we see his emergence as governor as a positive development, that has impacted Anambra State meaningfully.
“We pray that he will continue to provide this kind of leadership to all Anambra people so that the common man can have a say in the society.”
