Angry protesters from Okpuikikara, Umunenweze Community, Okaiuga Nkwoegwu, Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia state are calling on Governor Alex Otti to kindly intervene on alleged land grabbing activities ongoing in their community.
The protesters which includes men, women and youths were seen carrying placards of various inscriptions such as, ”The land belongs to our ancestors, not for sale, now or ever”, “Buyers take note, buy Okpu Ijikaka land, buy lawsuit”, Governor Alex Otti save Umunenweze from land grabbers” and others.
The protesters carried out the protest on Wednesday in the said ancestral heritage-Okpuijikara land, also pleading with the law enforcement agencies to intervene on the lingering land grabbing accusation labeled against Paul Onuigbo Uzuegbu, Ejikeme Emereuwa, and Obidike Nwokorie.
According to Onyekachi John Igbojionu, Spokesperson of Umunenweze Village, he said these individuals mentioned hold no customary mandate, administrative office, or legal authority in their constitution to represent Umunenweze or alienate their land.
Onyekachi also added that power belongs strictly to the Executive body of their village.
“Yet these men have been acting as unauthorized land grabbers seeking private gain at the expense of our community”. Onyekachi said.
They also explicitly explained that the exact extent and boundaries of their communal land: “Extending from Okaiuga Nkwoegwu Secondary School near the village Mbara Ama / Town Hall through Nnewo and Okpuijikara to our boundary with Umu-Ohuru Village down to the Obohu river/stream being our boundary with Umuabali and Amachara villages in Umuahia South LGA and where the land straddles the Port Harcourt to Enugu expressway at the point about five kilometers from Abia Tower and just short of the NNPC Mega Filling Station; extending through Uzo-lyi-Ochie and stopping by Ogba Rubber and Umunenweze Mbara Ama / Town Hall.”
It was also made clear that to protect their land from illegal transactions, their community instituted a lawsuit in the Abia State High Court and successfully secured a subsisting Court Injunction as Court restrained Paul Onuigbo Uzuegbu, Ejikeme Emereuwa, Obidike Nwokorie, and their agents from selling, leasing, or carrying out any civil development on Okpuijikara land, ruling that only seasonal farming activities are permitted.
The Protesters demand that Okechukwu Ndukwe and Onduk Real Estate Builders & Construction Ltd: Cease all work immediately, demobilize their equipment, and vacate Okpuijikara land in strict compliance with the subsisting High Court Order.
The Chairman of Umunenweze Obinna Okwulehie, Nwabueze Emereuwa, and Mrs Janet Nwagboso condemned the activities of the alleged grabbers saying that the situation has prevented them from carrying out their farm activities in the land.
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