Airport Fence/ House Demolition: Gov. Obiano Should Rise To The Occasion

If Gov. Obiano is like Wike, his Rivers State counterpart, he will be keenly interested in the satisfactory resolution of this airport fence/house demolition saga.

Arc. John Emejulu, the man in the eye of the storm, claims he bought the disputed 400 plots of land in 2008 from Umuenwene Iji Community, Nike, Enugu East LGA of Enugu State.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Enugu State High Court, in 2017, gave a judgement in favour of Arc. Emejulu pertaining the disputed expanse of land in Phase IV and V of Airport Road Layout.

He won the government in court and secured a court judgement that ceded the land to him. He met opposition in reclaiming his land so he went back to court.

Arc. Emejulu, in Suit no. E/ 165M/2020, prayed the court, through an application by Motion on Notice, to compel the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State and the Inspector-General of Police to execute the court’s judgment.

“On June 3, 2020, Justice J. L. C. Okibe granted an order of mandamus compelling the police to enforce the judgement (which ceded the land to. Arc. Emmejulu) and prosecute anyone that hinders its judgement.” Emphasis mine.

After the frustration in getting the government to obey a 2017 court judgement and in getting the police to obey the order of mandamus to reclaim the his land, the man decided to take laws into his hands. He got it wrong, I must add.

For the records, Arc. Emejulu, according to reports, is not against the invocation of eminent domain and the use of his 400 plots of land for public good. He is only insisting that the government does the needful. Ọ kwa nụ mmadu nwe ọgọdọ ewu na-ata.

Governor Obiano should be encouraged to immediately provide this man all the security he needs now, take him by the hand to the presidency and negotiate an adequate compensation for his 400 plots of land and for his demolished house.

If Emejulu is from River State, Wike would have stood up for him. He’s from Awka-Etiti, Anambra State, we are calling on Akpokuodike. Will he respond?

Chima Christian