Is a rain of tears that is thicker than blood for the people Umuezuo Naze Autonomous as Imo State Commissioner for Industry,Solid Minerals and Mines, Hon.Ernest Ibejiako, invaded their community in a brutal manner and destroying family compounds, graves, crops and other properties worth millions of naira in his latest desperate moves to allegedly grab their land.
Available reports, Ibejiako's latest and worst moves was made on October 3rd when he invaded the place again with two Catapilers and heavily armed uniform men in a hilux van who surrounded the villagers while the commissioner's agent Eugene Onyekwere proceeded with the Catapiler operators to destroy family properties in a heartless manner.
A visit to that place showed how family compounds were destroyed, gates of many of many compounds destroyed were taken away to an unknown destination
Speaking exclusively to dailynewsalet.net, a prominent indigene of the community and a respected community leader, Obilobi, Patrick Ajoku he spoke with tears and deep concern over the manner family compounds were destroyed, including crops and graves were they buried their dead ones.
He explained that the land is the only land remaining for the community and younger ones and is crucial in addressing population explosion.
His words, "the land in question is our only remaining land, is the place we moved to this present place we are living now, we just want to be close to main road that's why we moved to this place,this present place does not accommodate us again due to population explosion, the land in question is addressing our population explosion problem.
We have shared this land to our younger ones the youths, many have built on this land, many people have also fenced theirs, while some their mother are farming there, hoping to get money to commence building
Suddenly Ibejiakor came there and said government sent him to recover their land.
Making more insight into the land he said, the land has never been acquired for any developmental project in the past by any past or present administrationm
His words, I personally went to his office and told him that government has never came here for any kind of acquisition of this particular land nor neither compensation paid to anyone of us. I re- emphasized how this is the only land addressing our population explosion but if government insists they must take land for overriding public interest, let them show us a place to relocate because they can't chase us out to become Wanderers in our ancestral land "
Stakeholders and media observers who expressed displeasure over the moves of Commissioner Ibejiako, questioned how he woke up suddenly to recover a Land that has never been acquired by any past or present administration in Imo State and he is going about it in a brutal manner without consideration to the plights of the people seriously facing population explosion.
Obilobi Patrick Ajoku, disclosed that they are yet to see Member Representing Owerri North State Constituency Hon. Kelechi Ofurum but pleaded that he should please save them from this brutality.
He said it is hight of wickedness, Heartlessness for Ibejiako to chase them out of their ancestral homes destroy the grave their forefathers were buried just to grab land
According to the Obilobi" this land is our solution to population explosion, we are sure, our Amiable Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma did not send them. He is not a land grabber. He came into office with a promise to recover stolen lands and return them to the owners, .he warned Land grabbers to stay clear out of the state, there's no way Senator Hope Uzodinma will send them to destroy family compounds and graves of our dead fathers and mothers. We are saying please our amiable governor come to our help"
In the words of Mr Ben Umunna Eziefula he said; Hon Ernest Ibejiako, came to us few days after the death of our uncle, Hon. Gabriel Obichere and talked about this same land. Our Obilobi told him we are mourning. We told him right away that Uhu Elu is the only land remaining for us, our other land have been taken by the government and the land has never been government acquired property.
We didn't see him again, next thing we saw was the brutal invasion of our ancestral land, we cried , we wrote petition to the governor, no succour has come our way, we met with the commissioner of police, he made it clear that police does not involve in land matters.
When he claimed that Chief Onunaka Mbakwe government acquired the land, we told him to present papers of acquisition and names of persons compensations were paid, we are still waiting for him.
There are proceedures for land acquisition as enshrined in section 44 of 1999 Constitution, it must be for overriding public interest and community involved must be properly informed and adequately compensated,there must be considerable and mutual agreement.if adequate compasentation is not properly made they have the right to go to court.
We have not seen all these things, he came with brutality, he came without consideration, he came with illegality of the highest order against God and humanity.
The manner he invaded people's land destroy properties and crops have left a big wound in our hearts, we are bleeding, what's he did on October 3rd is unimaginable wickedness
I have always informed him that there's no time government acquired the place, Uhu ekwuru and Uhu elu, he came brushed it, if there is government acquisition papers and compensation let him come out and show us the documented evidence.
We know that Governor Uzodimma is not into land grabbing, we appeal to him to call our brother Ernest Ibejiakor and his boys to order. He is using intimidation, fear and harrasment with armed uniform men to harrass us,put fear in us to finally take our land and later after three he will parcelate and sell it to developers or real estate developers, this place is already addressing our population explosion, many of our youths are already living there.
We invite Governor Hope Uzodinma to come and v see things for himself, the manner they are grabbing the land at our backyard even inside our father's compound is highly condemnable
He works with one Mr Eugene Onyekwere,Aka professor, a notorious land grabber, he wants to forcefully take the land From us
We have told him if this land is purely for overriding public interest let him relocate us to a better place that will address the our population explosion. We support government developmental program , we will all agree to that, and if there is none let him leave our land for us so that these young ones will have a living portion in their only remaining ancestral Land."
Another illustrous son of the land who spoke said "nwanda has invited him and asked what shall we do for peace to reign so that government will take the land and do what they want to do with it, I told him to do the needful by following the legit process of land acquisition with clear process of re location of our people to areas that will take care of our population explosion needs, Let him give us adequate compensation we can use to buy land and build else where for our children he said it was a good talk but never showed up with any practical solution for our people, no compensation, no relocation plan, no single attempts or efforts for us to see his sincerity of purpose". If Nwaadaa thinks that we will be forcefully taken away from our ancestral land because of personal gain and not overriding public interest, he is wasting time.