From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The tension raised by alleged federal and Imo governments’ plot to forcefully appropriate an expanse of land in Nwangele Local Government Area is far from over.
This is as an Imo State Diasporan community, Isu Na Eliligbarogu, USA, has warned all those involved in the alleged forceful and clandestine takeover bid.
The expanse of land known as Ikpa Ogbajarajara is owned by some four communities spread across Dim-Na-Nume, Umuozu, Abba and even Owerre Nkwoji all in Nwangele and Nkwere local government areas.
The Diasporan association, a collective of indigenes of the affected area resident in the United States of America, said it would do everything within its powers to ensure that no portion of the land in question is taken away.
President of the group, Chief Eze Nwoke, said Ogbajarajara is ancestral land belonging to four communities in Nwangele LGA o, which has, curiously attracted many interests over the years, including a group of people who “usurped” the state government.
Nwoke raised the alarm over the forceful acquisition of the land by the Federal Government to establish a Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) settlement.
He said even if the allegation of acquiring the said land for RUGA is denied by agents of government, the fact remained that the people have no intention of ceding an inch of the said land, as the lives and livelihoods of the people were directly tied to it.
Nwoke said he strongly believes President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime equally understands what the land represents for the community.
“That land is the only inheritance we have as a community, our people don’t have land, the only available land we have is under invasion from the federal government that is charged with its protection. That land is the only source of water we have in the community, if it is used for RUGA we would have no water again,” he stated.
Supporting Nwoke, Nze Frank Odukwu, the association’s Vice President, revealed that even as the owners of the land were yet to be consulted, and their consent (or otherwise) sought, the federal government had gone ahead to award three contracts for the clearing of the land.