Follow Us on Google
From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
An advocacy group, Human Rights Writters Association of Nigeria, HURIWA has raised the alarm over activities of some Land racketeering syndicate members and blackmailers with no proven means of livelihoods who have lined up strategies to use some online media and other media of mass communications with little or no to peddle unsubstantiated allegations on land related forfeiture crimes against the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The group alleged that the object is to tarnish the well earned reputation of the governor and the entire state.
In addition, HURIWA further accused disgruntled political elements and those who are obviously internally displaced politicians in Enugu State operating from the nation’s capital of using some media platforms like SaharaReporters to spread fake news about the activities of the Enugu State administration under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
In a statement on Wednesday, the group said the activities of those elements include spreading allegations that the governor is in the business of depriving legitimate land owners of their landed and ancestral assets which is so far from the truth.
HURIWA stated that rather than commend the current governor of Enugu State for putting durable and sustainable legal and institutional frameworks in place and for reorganising the land administrative structures and hierarchy in the State, they are busy spreading false and unsubstantiated allegations.
The statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, noted that Governor Ugwuanyi administration has put some intiatives to completely sanitize land ownership and eliminate land speculation and touting which was a major problem inhibiting industrialisation in Enugu State before it came into power.
The Rights group alerted the media owners to be vigilant and be wary of their esteemed media outfits being duped and used by criminals parading about as businessmen to seek to peddle absolute falsehood against the Enugu State’s governor.
HURIWA recalled regrettably that saharaReporters claimed falsely that her investigation reveals the top government officials were involved in the land racketeering in the state in order to shield the governor from public scrutiny and any culpability. Appointees and close associates of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State are involved in land racketeering which they have taken to new heights.
Some of the associates and top government officials now float private companies to take over revoked landed property of residents and investors for resale.
SaharaReporters’ investigation reveals the top government officials involved in the land racketeering in the state are able to shield the governor from public scrutiny and any culpability. Sources told SaharaReporters that the governor’s henchmen would have as far as stoke communal crises in communities where the landed property has become lucrative, using proxies.
The Rights group also lampooned saharaReporters for making totally unverifiable allegations built on lies, political vendetta and lack of respect for objective journalism standards to report that one of the sources said due to the increasing rate of inflation and volatility in the money market, most residents have turned to buying property instead of keeping their money in the bank.
“Unfortunately, many residents and investors have lost their life savings on account of the racketeering activities of government officials.
“The community will survey an estate and call for developers. After people have purchased property, the government officials will use their criminal proxies in such communities to initiate a crisis. After causing the crisis, they will write to the government, asking it to take over the layout/estate without minding investors and other Nigerians who have invested their life savings in purchasing property in those communities.
Thereafter, the officials will exploit the authority of the governor in the Land Use Act and write the community through the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development that the government has taken over the property for the interest of peace and for overriding public interest,” one of the sources said.”
HURIWA dismissed these sets of lies and crude falsehoods as lies from the pits of hell that lacks veracity and therefore should be disregarded. The Rights group also stated that the comprehensive report of her findings will be published next week to show the measures and far reaching steps adopted by the Enugu State’s governor to sanitise land administration and ownership in Enugu to comply with the LAND USE ACT OF 1978 and the constitutions on the issues of Rights to property. The Rights group praised governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for applying the provisions of the extant laws in carrying out the land reforms in Enugu State.
“It is remarkable that despite the fact that the federal government, being at the top cadre of the organs of government and Nigeria practicing a quasi-unitary form of government, state governments have control over land allocation in their domain.
