Groups of angry Landlords and Women from Federal University of Technology FUTO Owerri host community numbering more than hundreds have stagged a peaceful protest accusing FUTO and Attorney Anokam of trading with their remaining ancestral land and keeping the entire Community on suspense.
The Community women groups from FUTO host communities comprising of Nekede, Ihiagwa, Eziobodo and Obinze stagged a protest few moments ago to attract the attention of the vice chancellor of Federal University of Technology FUTO , Proffessor Nnenna Oti who they alleged is working hand in globe with Imo state government to trick them of the only remaining ancestral land.
According to their spokesperson, the women lamented the continued crises this act have caused their Communities while calling on Government to remove their hands in the deal and caution FUTO to go off from their lands.
FUTO has claimed to have allotted the land for school of medicine having some other portions of the land for residential purposes.
Recall that the land was sometime Scheduled for a residential Estate by the former governor Okorocha and when GOVERNOR Ihedioha assumed office he could not agree to such an abrupt allocation process which stopped the process.
The cry of these women and landlords is that Governor Uzodinma can help the landlords to retrieve their land but regrettably hinted that some agents of government have joined the FUTO management to take the entire land having been decieved by university management.
Meanwhile, this land is said to be the only remaining ancestral land for Nekede, Ihiagwa, Eziobodo and Obinze communities and the alleged land grabbers have resorted to taking the land on false pretense for unapproved development purposes.
The women have regretted how Army barracks and New Owerri have eaten deep into their land while FUTO has also come in another false dimension to take the remaining portion from them.
They however warned the grabbers of this land to desist FORTHWITH otherwise it may lead to a communual war between the host Communities and whosoever that venture the acquisition of the land pending the judgement of the competent court.
At the time of this report our correspodent sighted a continued fence work going on along the Owerri Port-Harcourt road axis of the same ancestral land belonging to Nekede, Ihiagwa, Eziobodo and Obinze Communities.A call in the right direction is to settle this matter once and final to allow peace reign in the area.
The owners of this land said they have invoked the gods of the land to fight for them against the plots of the grabbers and whosoever that is involved in the transactions to rub the communities their birth right.
“FUTO has a versed portion of empty land in the school environment and wondered why they are scrabbling to take communities land with the rapid facilitation from alleged criminal elements and insensitive attorneys in the area.
“We therefore charge FUTO and their agents to go elsewhere where there are versed land and build their mansions and leave Nekede, Ihiagwa, Eziobodo, Obinze land alone, for this portion of land is the last land the community have where their children will lay hand on,the women warned.
However, the continued grabbing of Imo lands by unauthorized DEVELOPERS and suspected AGENTS of government is on the increase in the state after series of warning by GOVERNOR Hope Uzodinma on illegal and forceful Acquisition of people’s land.
Having the affected area of land in the center of the state capital, it will be unacceptable of any agent, attorney or groups of agents and their cohorts to rub these affected communities of their land in the name of Developmental projects and building of medical school and estates.
In our findings, our correspodent noted that the landlords alleged some estate developers and government agents are posing as Attorneys of host communities to sign agreement documents with some traditional rulers and community heads in the area to request for release papers on an area of land that is still intact.
How can a land that is intact and virgin, the only ancestral land belonging to Nekede, Ihiagwa Obinze and some part of Eziobodo be taken by fake agents and disgruntled elements who are requesting for release papers? Host community asked.
While reacting to the allegation, Federal University of Technology FUTO Owerri Insists that the area of land in question belongs to FUTO While chief Anokam said that God will vindicate the just ”
Anokam while speaking in a recent Newspaper publication in Imo state stated the reasons why Host Communities need no monetary compensation saying that Imo State Government was decieved by University Management as reported.
I am not aware of a purported Committee set up by Imo state government to look into the matter. If there is any committee set up by any authority, I must be involved. Otherwise it is null and void” Surveyor Anokam Said.
He even stated that the landed property is too much for FUTO while maintaining the peace can only be restored when the host Communities are given back their land so as to enable them expand. He however exenorated himself from the deals FUTO management as Alleged.
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