Alleged land-grabbing: Obiano has powers to take over any land – Adinuba

Chukwudi Ndubeze

The Anambra State Government has denied the accusation of land-grabbing by residents of the Anambra Housing Corporation Estate, Awka.

Reacting to claims made by residents of the estate during their Wednesday protest, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C-Don Adinuba, described the allegation as “infantile and infra dig.”

Adinuba said, “The governor has the powers in law to take over any land for overriding public interest.

“It’s infantile to accuse the government of land-grabbing on a land it owns already. The governor can revoke the land they are talking about for overriding public interest. It’s infra dig to accuse the government or its agents of land-grabbing.

“The quality of thinking of some people is becoming so frightening. If they feel aggrieved, they should go to court instead of engaging in scandalously childish drama.”

Recall that no fewer than 20 professors and other residents on Wednesday protested against alleged land-grabbing by suspected government agents.

The protesters said a piece of land had been serving residents of the estate for recreation, relaxation and other social events for over 20 years since it was allocated to by the state government.

Addressing journalists, the Chairman of the estate’s residents association, Prof. Stanley Udedi, accused the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation of selling the space to a private developer at the expense of the public interest it was originally meant for.

He said the residents had committed a lot of resources to securing and developing the land into a functional recreational centre through the construction of a bungalow and sand-filling of the waterlogged portion.

Udedi stated that the estate leadership had petitioned Governor Willie Obiano; Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwulobelu; and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Uchenna Okafor, over the matter.

He said, “Our children and young adults use the centre for sporting activities, including football, table tennis and badminton, while our elders use the same for evening relaxation and as a hypertension/stress-free centre.

“The leadership surprisingly got a letter from the ASHDC signed by one A. I. Nwofor conveying the information about the purported sale of the centre to one Mr Kingsley Nwafor.

“This letter, the first of its kind since we took over the estate from the defunct AHOCOL, has generated bitterness and rancour in the estate since its receipt.

“To worsen the matter, the purported buyer has been harassing the entire estate with thugs, attacking both the estate executive and security men, and creating serious tension in the estate.”

Udedi added that the residents were ready to go to court if the developer and his agents refused to back out.

The letter by the Director of Estate Services, ASHDC, A. I. Nwofor, read in part, “It is imperative to bring to your notice that the open space of the estate earlier designated for recreational uses, which has been fallow and undeveloped for the past 20 years, has been de-zoned and allocated to genuine residential land use developers.

“We hope that the review will bring growth and eliminate unpleasant activities within the subject areas of the estate.

“Please, note that all allottees of the estate are expected to commence development up to habitable stage within two years as stated in their allocation letters; failure to comply attracts revocation without any notice.”