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A group,Orlu Zone Solidarity Movement,OZSM has, in very strong terms berated the governor of Imo State,Sen Hope Uzodinma, over speculations that he is planning to hand over the former expansive premises of the Imo State Polytechnic, Orlu campus to the Catholic Church.
OZSM which spoke through their President, Comrade Nelson Odoemenem, said, much as they are not against the Governor helping his church, he should not use peoples’ property to placate or appease the Catholic, because that is where he belongs.
It posited that such a move would amount to insensitivity to the plight of the landowners and the entire Orlu zone people who have continued to voice their concern since the plan was muted.
The group also noted that, “Orlu people are currently grieving that the school was relocated to the Governor’s community, Omuma in Oru East.
As if adding insult to injury, the state government is now planning to hand over the school premises and it’s appurtenances to the Catholic Church.
“As a group, we are interested in the holistic development of Orlu zone and not the selective development of one Local Government Area at the expense of others that are also in dire need of development.
“What is the rationale for relocating an institution in Orlu zone to another Local Government Area that is also in Orlu zone, instead of bringing in more institutions to the area that has been lamenting that it is marginalized in all ramifications. When he relocated Imo State Polytechnic to his community, Omuma, we thought that he would use the premises for a federal institution but unfortunately, that is not the case”.
They called on the land owners to be calm and avoid taking the law into their hands, as they intend to convene a stakeholders’ meeting where they will decide the next line of action.
The group noted, “it has come to our notice that some self centered persons in Orlu community have made themselves traitors and enemies of the people.
They conspired and supported the relocation of Imo State Polytechnic to Omuma and are still supporting the handover of the it’s premises to the Catholic Church.
Speaking with our reporter, the Vice Chairman of Orlu Town Development Union,(OTDU) who is also a landlord in the area, Hon M.C Okereke said that the villagers did not donate the land to the Church.
He noted that the original land owners had an arrangement with the Irish missionaries. Hence, they gave them the premises and they started paying rent. After the Nigerian Civil war, the church said they needed a place where they will train teachers Promising to comply with initial arrangement with Irish Missionaries.
The leaders of the community agreed and pleaded with the landlords to oblige the Church which they graciously did with an agreement that the Church, like the Irish Missionaries, will be paying rent to them. The government later took over the place to establish a State owned school.
“The place was briefly used as a temporary site for the Alvan Ikoku College of Education,AICE and later as Technical Skill Acquisition Institute from which it metamorphosed to Technical Skills Acquisition Center (TESAC). There was never a time the property was donated to the church. It is therefore surprising that the Catholic Church is now laying claim to the land”.
Another prominent son of Orlu who pleaded anonymity, said, most of his colleagues who are Knights of the Catholic Church are the ones escalating the tension by ganging up against the community because of their selfish interests.
“As a knight of St Mulumba KSM, I don’t support the idea of clandestinely appropriating a public property in the name of religion or denomination. Could this be why most of them kept quiet while Governor Uzodinma relocated the Polytechnic to his village.I expected the governor to attract a federal overnment owned nstitution to the place now that he has taken away Imo state Polytecnic from us.
“I was also told that some of these people from Orlu community lobbying for the premises to be handed over to the Church have been promised compensatory vantage positions in the establishment.”
He wondered why the traditional rulers in the area have not deemed it necessary to speak out to truncate the plot to acquire peoples’s land for private or organizational purposes.
