Nnewi Youths Battle Anambra Government Over Land
Youths from Umuezena in Umudim-Nnewi, Anambra State on Wednesday trooped out in their good number to protest the attempt by the government to take over their ancestral land.
Trouble was said to have started when officials of the state government entered the portion of the land which was said to have been given to Chief Innocent Chukwuma and Sir Chika Okafor for the extension of their factories and destroyed everything in sight.
A spokesperson for the protesting youths, Hon Nwachukwu Akachukwu who is also the chairman, committee on lands for the community said the expansive land belongs to five kindreds and that the families concerned through their Obis decided to give out the land to indegeneous industrialists from Nnewi so as to bring development and employment close to the people of Umuezena who have over the years been abandoned by successive government in the state.
“What the government officials did here yesterday fell short of known government procedure and protocols. It is difficult for us to believe that government officials would enter a land and start destroying everything in sight and even carted away some materials from the site.
“This is even more so when there is no letter from the state government to notify us about government’s intention about the land.” Nwachukwu noted.
He recalled that an indegene of the community, an estate and property developer, based in Lagos had contacted the community to develop the land but his request was turned down because our people are resolute on what they want to do with the land.
“We gave out two hundred plots of land to Chief Innocent Chukwuma and two hundred and fifty plots to Sir Chika Okafor for the extension and expansion of their industries since 2004.
“If not for the intervention of Comptroller of Nnewi Correctional Center, Mr Uche Agwu who pleaded with the government officials to stop destroying things when they stormed the place, the level of destruction would have been total.
“It is a shame that the state government would move into the land now and interrupt the developmental efforts when individuals have started giving us a helping hand. There is no iota of state government presence in our community all these years and we see this attempt as not just provocative but frustrating.” He declared.
He however threatened a showdown with the government officials anytime they illegally enter their ancestral land again.
A section of the protesting youths pulled down bill board mounted by the state government claiming ownership of the land.
An elder in the community who will not want his name in print appeal to the demonstrating youths to be calm and suspend further protest while the Obis and other leaders in the community take up the matter with the Anambra State government.
