Ebenesi, one of the quarters of Nnobi Community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has expressed pain and displeasure over the ultimatum to vacate their houses and the planned demolition of the same due to the construction of a power line by the Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, without an adequate relocation or compensation plan to help them resettle from their ancestral lands.

Speaking during the peaceful protest in Nnobi, the Chairman of Ebenesi, Chief Okechukwu Oraka, explained that over 250 houses were affected by the planned power transmission line demolition, causing unease in Ebenesi, especially as there was no adequate provision for the relocation of the affected persons, noting that they are not against development but that the Federal and State governments should not be insensitive to their plight, and should explore alternatives where possible to save them from the impending loss, which has already caused health challenges for some persons.

Also speaking on the plight of those affected, the Vice Chairman of Ebenesi, Chief Patrick Nwanyaku, noted that they are not disobeying government in any way but that government actions need to have a human face, especially in resettling them from their ancestral land which the power line will pass through, or alternatively passing it underground to cushion the effect of their loss, while another affected community leader, Comrade Stanley Izuegbunam, said the demolition would affect the economic livelihood of the people as the cost of building a new house is exorbitant, and called for dialogue on the matter.

Other affected persons, including Chief James Okeke and Mrs. Comfort Nwudo, urged government to look into their complaints as the issue is complex and multifaceted, especially given the displacement it would cause them.

Responding to the Ebenesi people, the Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Youth Reformation, Dr. Nelson Omenugha, emphasized that the project is a Federal Government project under TCN and predates the Governor Chukwuma Soludo administration, stressing that the state needs power infrastructure to meet its developmental plans, of which Nnobi would also be a beneficiary, as development comes with a cost, and urged the people to better articulate a compensation plan that suits them in order to dialogue with government.

The affected persons later marched in unison with different placard inscriptions over their plight to the home of the traditional ruler of Nnobi, Igwe Nick Obi, who was represented by the Palace Secretary, Chief Obianumba Ojayaku, and the President-General of Nnobi, Comrade Aloy Olubialu, both of whom expressed dismay over the situation, noting that Nnobi is a densely populated area, and even though development comes with a cost, they would help ensure that the people are not adversely affected.