Imo community protest alleged land grabbing, calls for Uzodimma’s intervention

BY EMMANUEL CHUKWUMA, ENUGU.

The people of Umuduru Emeghara village in  Anara, Isiala Mbano local government area of Imo State have called on the governor of the state, Hope Uzodimma to call the local government chairman of Isiala Mbano, Hon. Chika Okoroike, former president general, Anara town union, Chima Obialo and the newly elected president general, Anara town union, Ben Alaegbu to order.

They stressed that as peaceful people,  this became necessary for others in the community.

Speaking to newsmen, the Youth leader of Umudleader of Udobata Nwanya, highlighted that on the 4th of January, 2025, the Añara Town Union held the Town Union elections for new leadership under the supervision of the Isiala Mbano LGA Chairman Evangelist Chika Okoroike. 

He said that the elected new executive was inaugurated at the local government secretariat by the LGA Chairman on the 11th of January, 2025.

He said, “Sequel to the handover program of the town Union executive on Thursday, 16th January 2025, some sons of Umuduru Emeghara village of Añara Isiala Mbano LGA, woke up on Wednesday, the 15thJanuaryaryaryaryJanu 2025, to realize that the outgoing president General of the Añara Town Union also had invited the new president General Mr. Ben Alaegbu and his execute Mr. our village land called Odohhhhandrship of Añara Town Union as an asset of the Town Union without their knowledge, permission, and consent, which amounts to “shaving a man’s head behind his to toto toto toto to back.”

“Mr. Chima Obialo was caught in the said land red-handed in the company of two men from a neighboring village (Umuagwu, Añara) at about 10:15 am on 15th of January 2025. 

This led to a protest by men, women, and youths of Umuduru Emeghara village of Añara. 

The protest placards read, “Odonkwaba is our ancestral heritage, Odonkwaba is not for sale, Anara traditional institution should uphold fairness, Anara town union should respect our dignity, we are not safe under a conspiracy leadership in Anara, this conspiracy must stop, Anara needs leadership, not tyranny, our ancestral land is ours, you cannot evict us, stop the invasion and trespassers, our land is not for estate land grabbers, beware of fraud stars in investors clothes, we are not tenants, we own Odonkwaba, Odonkwaba is not negotiable, you cannot barb our hair behind our back, we stand for the respect and dignity of every village in Anara, we are peace-loving, we have given before, don’t take us for a ride, Umuduru Emeghara are the owners of Odonkwaba and there is no community land in Anara.”

It was gathered that the incoming President, General, and his officers were on their way, but when they heard that  Chima Obialo had been confronted with the protest, they withdrew 

As at the time of filling this report, efforts to reach Mr Ben Alaegbu for interrogation proved abortive. 

In his response, Chima Obialo, the immediate past president General of Añara Town Union, told the protesters that one government official sent him on behalf of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma to come and check Odonkwaba land in preparation for concession of the land for estate development. 

He also revealed that the traditional ruler of the Añara Autonomous community, Nze  Ogemdi Agbugba, and the previous administration of Añara Town Union had earlier set up a committee led by Mr. Pascal Iwuozor of Umuneke village of Añara to survey Odonkwaba without duly engaging with the said land owners, Umuduruemeghara 

Consequently, a group of elders, led by Chief Eric Nwagwu of Umuduruehie village of Añara walked in as a delegation of the Venerable and congregation of St. Andrews Anglican Church Añara. 

“These three men also bore witness to the undeserving oppression of Añara Leaders against the Umuduruemeghara village of Añara. 

“In their testimony, they narrated the role Umuduruemeghara played in granting some hectares of land for the establishment of Central School Añara and St Andrews church Añara. Also, they emphasized that Añara Town Union and traditional institutions do not have any right over any land belonging to any village. 

In an interview with the eldest man in the village, Elder Raymond Njoku said, “Unfortunately, this conspiracy to forcefully and illegally seize, acquire, and dispossess Umuduruemeghara of their land by elements within and outside Anara has been going on for decades. There has never been any day at any point where the so-called leaders considered it wise to consult with the one and only owners of Odonkwaba (Umuduruemeghara village of Añara). 

“We granted lands to the missionaries to build the church and school only, and not for commercial purposes. An act was done because our village, Umuduruemeghara, solely planted both only in collaboration with the CMS missionaries; there was no scholarship to our sons and daughters and no concession.

“Today, both the school authority and town union leaders have connived to build shops on the land with no recourse to the donors of the land and the purpose of the donations.

“It is on record that in 2020, when some group of so-called leaders of Añara led by Mr. Kingsley Ibe of Aguna village Añara fraudulently came up with a claim for a planned concession of Odonkwaba for a PPP arrangement to build an estate, that Umuduruemeghara published a communique in the newspaper, Nov 2020 on the facts about the said Odonkwaba land, for a better understanding to those ignorant about the issues.

“Previously, we have also heard fictitious claims that the government of Owelle Rochas Okorocha, through the then Commissioner for Commerce, wanted to build a market on the land. 

In his remarks, the home branch chairman of Umuduruemeghara village,e Mr. David Nwany,asaid,i,d “One wonders the desperation of the so-called leaders of Añara without the consent of Umuduruemeghara to dubiously grab a land that does not belong to them in this 21st century. He further called on the government at all levels to dissociate themselves from these fraudulent actors in Añara and also call all land grabbers to order.

“The chairman further advised these elements and their entire backers to be properly guided to avoid dragging the entire Anara community into an endless crisis

“This is unfortunate at this day and time how laughable it is for people to think they can seize or grab land from a village or community by taking the right steps and expecting to succeed even at the government level. Hence, the chairman wondered what plans these land grabbers have for the relocation of the Umuduruemeghara people and where.”