From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Enugu State government has been urged to investigate the activities of the erstwhile presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, leading to the demolition of a N1.3 billion ultra-modern paint factory in the State.
The demolition of the paint industry “Legacy Paints Ltd” located at plot M4 Cattle Lairage site, Emene, Enugu State, was alleged to have been orchestrated by the ex-APC presidential aspirant with help from members of the youth wing of the APC in the State.
Before the latest demolition that took place on December 22, 2022, the factory was first pulled down in 2018 by Uju Ohanenye in the face of a protracted legal tussle over the ownership of the plot of land housing it, before it was rebuilt and put into production by its owners.
In a petition addressed to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, the law firm of Chukwuma-Nwachukwu Ume SAN & Co, on behalf of its clients, Dezern Nigeria Ltd and Legacy Paints Ltd (victims of the demolition factory), narrated how the ex- female presidential aspirants using her political clout allegedly influenced the withdrawal of the appeal by the state government marked CA/E/224/2021, over the disputed land, after briefs were filed and exchanged, with the appeal ready to be heard.
The petitioner said though the appeal lodged by the Attorney General of Enugu State and Commissioner of Lands Vs Kenju Investment Ltd ( a company belonging to Mrs Uju Ohanenye), was withdrawn in suspicious circumstances, the one filed by Dezern Nigeria Ltd, in respect of the disputed plot of land was still pending before the illegal demolition took place.
The petition signed by Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume SAN, a former Attorney General of Imo State, dated December 28, 2022, was copied to the Anglican Bishop of Enugu Diocese, His Lordship, Arch Bishop Chukwuma, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, the Catholic Bishop of Diocese of Nsuka, two past State Governors, Dr Chimeroike Nnamani and Chief Sulivan Chime, Senator Ken Nnamani, Senator Utazi and Chief Arthur Eze.
According to the petition, the Enugu state government through the State Ministry of Lands in 2013, “validly granted Statutory Certificate of Occupancy (No: CAL/07566 dated 25th November 2013 and registered as NO: 5 at page Vol. 126, Land Registry, Enugu), for 99 years to Dezern Nigeria Ltd in respect of a commercial piece of land known and situated at plot M4 cattle Lairage site, Emene, Enugu state.
“It is also in the record of your state government that this company duly applied and got the necessary factory buildings approval. As a follow-up, they in line with your state government policy of encouraging indigenous industrialization of the state, immediately(with borrowed funds), constructed and established an ultra-modern paint manufacturing factory at a cost of N1 billion.
“The factory with a teaming workforce of over 70 staff has steadily remained in active production and has been paying huge sums of money to your state confers in form of Personal Income Tax of employees.
The petitioner stated that before the factory was brazenly pulled down, the paints and other allied chemicals produced by the company have added tremendous value to commercial activities in the state, country and the West African sub-region.
Questioning the sudden withdrawal of the appeal lodged by the state government in respect of the land matter, the petitioner stated: “Curious and all of sudden, on the date your Government appeal was slated to be heard, your ministry of Justice withdrew it from the court. Why? Because some people and above the law and cannot be subjected to the Rule of Law.
In fact, the people above the law are on the neck of some public officers thereby flooding away your government’s well-intended appeal that was withdrawn on October 19, 2022.
“The intriguing puzzle and baffle is that today, the erstwhile APC presidential aspirant has added a new impetus to her overbearing influence that she now moved your Excellency to reallocate our client’s
plot to her.
While urging Governor Ugwuanyi to instruct the state’s ministry of justice to re-file the withdrawn appeal for proper prosecution, the petitioner equally demanded the cancellation of any allocation made or attempt to have been made to Uju Kennedy Ohanenye.