….As Community Cries Out Over Destruction of Crops and Economic Trees
The people of Umuigbo Amurri autonomous community in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State have taken to the streets to protest against the forcible seizure of their land by the local government chairman, Hon. John Ogbodo.
The community is alleging that the chairman is attempting to take over their ancestral land without their consent, despite having previously mapped out a separate area for the government’s Smart Farm project.
“We have a place mapped out for smart farm,” one of the protest placards read. “Umuigbo Amurri, we say no to illegal seizure of our land.” The community is seeking the intervention of Governor Peter Mbah to resolve the crisis and prevent further conflict.
According to Chief Chinedu Atokwa, Financial Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing Worldwide, the LGA chairman’s actions are causing harm to the community, particularly the women, who have had their crops destroyed without any compensation or negotiation. “Our people, particularly the women, are crying. They have destroyed the crops in our farmlands without negotiating with our people,” he said.
The community’s traditional leader, Chief Sebastian Onu Oko, explained that they had mapped out over 1000 hectares of land in their farm settlement for the Smart Farm project, but the LGA chairman is insisting on taking a different piece of land that is designated for residential purposes. “We want to appeal to the governor to investigate these land grabbers that are trying to invade our place. We don’t want crisis. We want peace,” he said.
The youth chairman of Umuigbo Amurri community, Jude Oko, also expressed frustration with the LGA chairman’s actions, saying, “We’re calling on the Enugu State government to come and look into the crisis that is brewing in our land. The LGA chairman decided to take our land by force.”
The vice chair lady of the Umuigbo Amurri women wing, Chinyere Ugwu, added, “We’re angry that where we have mapped out for our children to live in, the LGA has come to take without any consultation with any member of our community. Above all, this is where we the women have cultivated and planted our crops and cassava. But all those have gone because the LGA chairman rolled out his bulldozers to destroy the crops.”
The community is pleading with Governor Peter Mbah to intervene and direct the LGA chairman to leave their land and use the designated area for the Smart Farm project. They are also seeking compensation for the crops destroyed and damages caused by the LGA chairman’s actions.
Reacting to the allegations, the LGA chairman, Hon. Ogbodo, said the land was properly donated by the community through their traditional ruler and other leaders of Amurri town, adding that the government was a smart farm project for the people of the community.
According to him, the choice of the land by the traditional ruler of the community was because the land had been “lying fallow for over 300 years without any use but only serving as a cover for Fulani herdsmen”.
He said the government meant well for the people and urged the protesters to accept the project the way other communities had accepted their own.
