REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER LAMENTS LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM IN JOURNALISM PROFESSION IN NIGERIA

· SAYS RECENT PUBLICATION ON HIM WAS TO SMEAR HIS IMAGE.

ECHE NWAOBASI, NNEWI/ONITSHA

Chief Ezeayom Chinazor an Anambra state based real estate developer has lamented lack of professionalism anchored on fair hearing and balanced reportage among most journalists especially bloggers in social media in the country noting that it is high time stake holders in the profession rise up to the problem and stop it so that it won’t undermine the image of the profession among the people.

Making this observation while reacting to a recent publication in some newsblogs site in social media and some local newspapers accusing him of been a land grabber, Ezeayom who described such publications as wicked and deliberate attempt to smear his good image built for years said he had never in his life engaged in land grabbing as all his real estate investments are strictly done according to laws and specifications.

Commenting on the said land located at Otigba Estate opposite Holy Ghost Estate gate Enuovuve layout along Onitsha Otuocha Road Nkwelle Ezunaka Oyi LGA which laid to the said publication titled “Anambra residents raises alarm over illegal structures”, he stated that every transaction in respect of the land was done in accordance to relevant laws and customs governing purchase of lands in Anambra state stressing that the owners of the said land Akpukwu family and ASUDEB were settled and payment of necessary fees done adding that the land was not on erosion prone area as wickedly alleged in the sponsored publication.

Investigating this, newsmen contacted the authorities of ASUDEB, the agency in charge of land transaction in the state, chairman and vice chairman of Akpukwu family, the bonafide owner of the land chief Okwuchukwu Ugokwe, chairman of Otigba landlords and tenants association who spoke on behalf of the association all confirmed that Ezeayom is the real owner of the disputed land as he was the one who bought the land from real owners Akpukwu family of Nkwelle Ezunaka on October 2016 and has perfected all stipulated condition required by the owners and the state government which led him to start developing the said land.

On the allegation that the said land is an erosion prone area which is not good for erection of any property, they stated that the area is safe with no treat of erosion as confirmed by material testing standard of all the relevant approval authorities.

When asked on the contention of a claimant of the said land that the portion of the land was a buffer zone created by the contractor who initially developed the estate, they describe such claim as mischievous stressing that the area in question is the property of Akpukwu family who sold the area to chief Ezeayom Chinazor.

On his part when newsmen contacted him, chief Ifeanyi Akaeme the person laying claim to the land who was alleged to be the sponsor of the said publication, told newsmen that he is the rightful owner of the said portion of land as he had earlier bought the land from the contractor chief Bonaventure Mokwe who developed the estate insisting that the contractor left that portion as a buffer zone which by implication belongs to him adding that the same portion is not the property of Akpukwu family as they have earlier ceded it to the contractor who sold it to him.