Land
By Chukwuemeka Opara
Uburu (Ebonyi), July 17, 2018 (NAN) The Amenu village of Uburu community, Ohaozara Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi, has restated that it donated an expanse of land to the National Bio-Technology Development Agency.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Correspondent who visited the area, reports that Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology which supervises the Bio-Technology agency, hails from the village.
NAN also reports that the indigenes of the village, including land owners in the affected expanse, stakeholders and community leaders among others, staged a peaceful protest on Tuesday, faulting the revocation of the land by the state government.
The indigenes who carried placards with inscriptions: “Wwe need Federal Government’s Presence”, “We have been marginalised for long’’, urged Gov. David Umahi, who hails from Umunaga village of the community to respect their wishes.
Chief Chaka Nweze, former Chairman of Ohaozara LGA, said that the people donated the land to the agency without request because it would be used to attract development to the area.
“When Onu was appointed the Minister of Science and Technology, we urged him during a reception to use his office to attract development to the area.
“The people, especially land owners, backed this demand by donating the land to be used by the for its projects,” he said.
Nweze, who was a former state Interim Secretary of the All Progressive Congress (APC), noted that contrary to insinuations, the land was not donated to Onu for private purposes.
“We are only interested in attracting federal presence to our area which will be higher and more beneficial than any project from the state government.
“Section 51 sub-section 2 of the Land Use Act of the federation stipulates that the federal Government owns all lands being used by its ministries and agencies in the country and our people had willingly offered the land to the agency before the state government’s interest in it,” he said.
Ngene Oje, whose father owns over 60 per cent of land in the expanse, noted that there were unused lands in the community that the state government could use for its projects.
Oje, who is also an Ex-Officio of the Amenu Town Union, said that Onu as an indigene, should enjoy the privileges other ministers and top government officials enjoy in their localities.
“He had fulfilled all promises made to our people in the past and showed commitment in the present situation by attracting officials of the agency to inspect the land,” he said.
Chief Nwaonu Odii, a Community Leader in Amenu village, said that the traditional institution in the area was solidly behind the land’s donation to the Federal Government’s agency.
“Onu had attracted several projects to the area even before he became a minister and they had benefited several indigenes and developed the area.”
Mrs Elizabeth Ogo-Ike, a farmer and land owner in the affected expanse, said that she was formerly against donating her land to any tier of government but rescinded due to the agency’s commitment toward the project.
Prof. John Ekeh, Ebonyi Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Housing, defended the state government’s action, noting that politics should not be brought into the matter.
“I am new in the ministry but will say that the state government exercised its right in the land use act, which stipulates that it is the owner of all lands in the state.
“I will, however, study the situation thoroughly but the people of the village should understand that government’s actions are in their interest,” he said.
Efforts made by NAN to interview the Chairman of Ohaozara LGA, Mrs Nkechinyere Iyioku, were unsuccessful but Mrs Patience Ajah, the V-Chairman, declined comment on the matter.
“The matter should be referred to traditional rulers in the area who can comment better on it,” she said. (NAN)
RCO/PDE
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(Editing by Peter Ejiofor)