Umunugwu village in the Ugwuaji community in Enugu South council has urged Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for help over an alleged encroachment into their ancestral land along Enugu/Port Harcourt expressway.
Protesting on Tuesday in Enugu, the Umunugwu village accused Enugu South LG chairman, Chimezie Nkwuo, of encroaching on the land.
Speaking to journalists, Okwudili Aniahu, chairman of the Umunugwu General Assembly, said the land belonged to Umunugwu. He alleged that
“Our protest is that the chairman should leave the land. We are calling on his excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to help us as we do not have any land again. Many of us have not built on it since it was shared, while the ones already started building, their structures were destroyed in the process of encroachment,” he said.
However, Mr Nkwuo denied the allegations, accusing the community of tarnishing his image.
According to him, the land in question may be where the Enugu government plans to build an access road to Community Secondary School, Ugwuaji.
“I will verify and respond appropriately so that I will know the people protesting. But I believe it is that particular land the Enugu government wants to put the road, and if the state government is working on the land, why are they calling my name?” he said.
When contacted, the commissioner for works and infrastructure, Greg Nnaji, said Mr Ugwuanyi had employed a consultative method in seeking development and that the Ministry of Land and Urban Planning had engaged the community to open up the axis for development.
He described the protesters’ actions as unfortunate.
“In furtherance of that, the state is aware of that road, and this corroborates the information Nkwuo gave,” he said. “I sincerely appeal to them to sheath their sword and embrace development.”
