The people of Umuejechi Community,Nekede Owerri West Local Government Area, Imo State have lamented that the State government is trying to forcefully take away their ancestral land from them despite two Court judgements in their favour.
They vowed to resist any move by Government to forcefully occupy their ancestral land.
Speaking with Journalists, the spokesman who doublei as the Secretary of the Community, Comrade Donatus Nzuruike informed that the agreement reached with their fathers by the then Colonial government in 1959 was a “DEED OF GRANT” which was later quashed by Court judgement.
He further explained that the purpose of the grant was for Agricultural purpose but to their surprise the Imo state government deviated from the agreement by using it for other purposes not captured in the said agreement and extending to areas not given to them by the community.
The Community spokesman also hinted that before now successive governments have been keeping with the terms of agreement until 2011 when the administration of Rochas Anayo Okorocha truncated it and the community went to court.
“During the time of Udenwa we approached the Government for some portions of the land for residential purposes because we are expanding, so the agreement was reviewed,three hundred plots were given to us, the rent was reviewed and paid to us in arrears.
“We went to court and signed consent judgement on the deed of grant and it has been maintained by both parties before Rochas Okorocha came and truncated it.He entered into the land and parcelated it.He shared it among his in-laws, relatives and friends and we said no and went to court”
He further informed that the judgement was delivered in their favour on May 2019 in Suit number- HOW/603/2018 where the court ordered that #158,000,000 should be paid to the community representing damages for trespass against the defendants.
He also revealed that Emeka Ihedioha administration accepted the judgementbut pleaded that Government will only pay #100,000,000 which the community accepted and#20,000,000 was paid as part of the installmental payment before Uzodinma administration came on board.
The Secretary of the community further informed that since Uzodinma came on board, he has deviced all means to enter the land against the court judgement,he even went to court for the court to grant them leave to appeal the judgement and court refused it on the basis that Government cannot challenge consent judgement which it signed.
Comrade Nzuruike went ahead to explain that after Government failed in all the strategies it employed,it then called for Memorandum Of Understanding”MOU” with the community headed by Sir Innocent Oguaju-Dike the Chairman Land Use And Allocation Committee.
He informed that part of the agreement was that, Notice of withdrawing of the pending appeal shall be filed forthwith by the Government and served on the community.
That the balance of #80’000,000,00 outstanding from the #100,000,000,00.agreed in the terms of resolution shall be paid after the parties sign the Memorandum and other notable agreements.
The community spokesman lamented that despite the MOU that the government still wants to forcefully enter the land and that the community has resolved to resist her.
Lending his voice, the youth Chairman of the community, Comrade Ekeocha Chijioke Kingsley said that Government as a legitimate entity should obey the law.
He stated that the community as law abiding people have been tolerating a lot from Government but insisted that this time they will use all possible means within the law to resist any further marginalization from Government.
Present during the protest were the Chairman of the Community,Sir Samuel Achugbue, youths , women and Elders of the community.
NIGERIA NEWSPOINT
