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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The people of Umuawafor, Umuokereke and Umunwogu villages in Isiala Aro-Ngwa Autonomous Community in Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of Abia State have vowed that they are ready to die in defence of their land, should the state government go ahead with its alleged plan to forcefully acquire it.
The Abia State government said it has acquired parcels of land in the contentious area at Osisioma, along the Aba axis of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway, and handed them over to developers for the Abia Smart City project.
In a peaceful protest held by natives of the community, they lamented that some government officials came to take their land by force for the proposed “Smart City” without considering their welfare and the already existing development activities of their tenants who had already purchased some land in the area.
The villagers said that over the years, they have suffered great losses in the hands of some persons claiming to be government agents, who ended up disposing of their land and vowed not to be alive to see their land being taken anymore.
“We will not accept this forceful, unlawful acquisition of our land. If they want to take over this land, they should get ready to eliminate all of us because we’ll resist it”.
In a protest letter signed by some elders of the community and addressed to Governor Alex Otti, of which was read out by their spokesperson, Friday Apollos, the community pleaded with the state government to allow existing developers who had already acquired some of the lands, including some indigenous people, to continue their development rather than forcefully taking them away.
The letter read in part, “We recall that the Abia State government, in the past, acquired land for the permanent site of the Ogbonnaya Onu Polytechnic, Osisioma, and the larger part of it belongs to one of the affected villages, Umuawafor village, who has 95% of the land there.
“The recent purported acquisition is frustrating. This is injustice, inhuman, and unacceptable. We call on the Abia State government to take note that those bringing them here to take our land are not our people.
“We call on the Abia State government to leave the Aro Ngwa people alone. Development must not start and end in Aro Ngwa. There are other villages with enough land to give out. Ours is finished.
“Where do they want us to stay? We know we have no prominent people in government, but we must be treated like human beings, not animals. We are vehemently saying no, and enough is enough.
“We will not accept this forceful, unlawful acquisition of our land. If they want to take over this land, they should get ready to eliminate all of us because we’ll resist it”.
Also speaking, a native of one of the affected villages, a retired police superintendent, Chiemela Nwankwoala, pleaded with Governor Otti to make serious inquiries about the land, and direct the so called developers coming to forcefully take their land look elsewhere, as they have no other land to give out.
“How can I serve my fatherland for 35 years, and some people come here to confiscate my land in my own village? Where will my children stay? Where will I be buried? Will I be buried in a strange land? Our community has given enough land to the government.
“We’re native people; we’re not settlers. I’m currently 70 years of age. What do they want me to do? I’ve gone round the country serving the nation.
“I lived in my father’s house throughout my years of service; now I’m working on my own house, and they want to take my land away from me. Is it fair? Please let them help us”, he pleaded.
Counsel to Cyril Nwachukwu, Nkechi Nwachukwu, and Emeka Nwachukwu, investors who bought land in the area, Obioha Edward, disclosed that some time last year they got a rumour that the government of Abia State had grabbed the land belonging to his clients. He said all efforts made by his clients to reach out to government officials over the issue proved abortive.
“But just a few days ago, we began to hear that individuals that the government gave the land to are coming for groundbreaking on land that belongs to my clients who have every necessary document.
“The major issue my clients are complaining about is that they purchased this land to develop it, but they keep distracting them using the name of the Abia State government, and my clients are not happy”.
He contended that “if the government wants the land, they should pay his clients adequate compensation in tandem with the law of the land”.
