-THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER
BY PRINCELY ONYENWE,IMO
Traditional ruler of DINDI Ihiagwa in Owerri West local government area of Imo State Nigeria, HRH EZE Kingsley Ezewunwa Odu, Agwa ukwu, DINDI 1 of Ihiagwa is vindicated and exonerated from speculations and insinuations from different quarters that he has taken all their community land and enriched himself with its proceeds.
9 News Nigeria has revealed that the land in question is known and called Okeohia and Ukpo Ogoloshi, otherwise called DINDI Ihiagwa GRA Housing Estate 1 and 2 as gazetted by the state ministry of Lands.
This land is located behind Federal Polythecnic Nekede back gate and could be accessed through Basic bus stop Umuoma Nekede, FEDPONEK and Iriamogu Ihiagwa. The land can also be accessed from Umuokomoche Umudibia and Obibiezena axis.
The traditional ruler has not in any case tricked IRIAMOGU kindred of their portion of land neither has he ceeded the entire DINDI land to himself.He has not alotted any of these lands to any individual or family by his powers rather the state government through the ministry of Lands cum the General manager, Imo state Housing Corporation, Barr Chinedum Mbakwe Obi Confirmed the said land and its allocation was done by same state government accordingly.
Investigation revealed that all the families in Iriamogu Ihiagwa benefited from the sharing and got their portions/ plots of land through respective allocation papers a year after it was acquired in the year 2017,under the administration of Honourable Walter Uzonwanne as the then acting GM, Imo state housing Corporation.
In the year 2018, the sharing was done and the people applauded the resilience and doggedness of Eze Odu who fought to secure the land against the initial government design of 70 : 30 % sharing pattern.
He did this as a custodian of the people, the custom and the tradition of IRIAMOGU dynasty. Recall that the aboriginal Umuakufor family of IRIAMOGU IHIAGWA are the custodian of Ishi Oha otamiri which implies that the family by heritage deserves some share of the land to appease the Oha Otamiri spirit. But the traditional ruler recovered the land from Government and submitted to Ndi Iriamogu.
When contacted, the traditional ruler accepted that only 8plots of land was given to his kindred from the total of 224 plots while the community was given 124 plots to share accordingly.
Infact the size of IRIAMOGU land was Confirmed to be 43 hectres and not 43 plots as reported by some local tabliods in the state. On this therefore, 1/3 of the entire land which is the larger part of the deal is uncompleted as approved with development facilities and electric poles while awaiting what the state has in stock pending when the Government Improves.
In this report therefore, samples of interviews was conducted to state the facts but space may not permit to call their names one after the other.
Trouble began in the year 2021, three years after the sharing when Chief Festus Ekechi who happens to be an indigenous land developer challenged the Government approved developer, Chris Oguma.
This was purely done on specialty of interests groups in Iriamogu Ihiagwa who’s motive is to trauncate the existing procedure of Government land allocation for lack of internal Community cordination and the improper way of consumption of matching ground levy than utilize it for Community development.
Our correspondent was hinted that the matching ground largesse from the land had set the community in disarray during the tenure of the former President General PG of DINDI-IHIAGWA, Amarikwa Opara and HRH Eze Odu dissolved the town union inline with government directives.
Eze Odu however APPOINTED a new caretaker committee charged with the responsibility to improve IRIAMOGU, and DINDI IHIAGWA.The committee was charged to account to the community and not to engulf public funds or take it as personal coffer.The caretaker is therefore headed by ICHIE HAROLD OPARAOGU as chairman and BARR CHUKWUMA OPARAIGWE as one of the exco member.
However, the youth leader of the community, OPARAIGWE Kelechi was Confirmed to be instigating troubles to stop developers from futher work because of his unholy alliance with the opposing side of Festus Ekechi.
Though some notable Iriamogu Ihiagwa people who gave their words pointed out that Lawlessness, primitive mentality, sit-tight autocracy, parallel Government and bad leadership are the possible causes of Community fracas.
Information revealed that he Kelechi OPARAIGWE has at several times insisted that he will be collecting the marching ground/ development levy alone but the community said NO.
Their interest as told was purposely to disrupt the process of work in the area and to stagnate government efforts to develop the land to Improve the community.
It is on this therefore, the traditional ruler Odu has called on government and the ministry of Lands and Housing Corporation to continue with their good work and cautioned on the ignorant subjects of IRIAMOGU IHIAGWA to please stay clear and never to remove Government beacons on the alotted portions of land at Okeohia/Ukpo Ogoloshi GRA housing Estate phase 1 and 2.
He however insisted that such unverified Information about his person is baseless and unfounded. Eze Odu therefore call on IRIAMOGU people to keep off from the land and implore the public to ignore the allegations by whom he called the products and agents of disorder and disgruntled ambition.
9News Nigeria (Owerri)
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