From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Enugu State Commissioner for Lands, Victor Nnam, has been dragged to court for allegedly making false land documents with intent to present same to government ministries and departments.
The commissioner, who was due for arraignment on Tuesday, at the Federal High Court, Enugu, on an 8-count charge bordering on forgery failed to appear before the court on grounds of ill health.
Presenting a medical report to the presiding judge, Justice Dugbo Oghoghorie, counsel to the defendant, Mr P.N.B Onyia, informed the court that his client was sick and, therefore, could not make it to court.
The judge frowned at the fact that the medical report emanated from a private hospital, but however adjourned the case to February 24, 2021. The plaintiff, Kingsley Eze, who is the Managing Director of Private Estate International West Africa (PEIWA), said that in 2014, prior to Nnam’s appointment as commissioner, he served as his company’s surveyor.
He alleged that at that point, Nnam forged the company’s documents, which he used to falsely register layouts belonging to the company in Enugu State Ministry of Lands and Urban Development and went ahead to sell off the layouts to unsuspecting public. He said that when the company discovered the act, it was reported to the surveyors’ council and the police, who did discrete investigation before slamming him with an 8-count charge of forgery.
He claimed that instead of being on the side of fairness, the Enugu State Government went ahead to appoint Nnam as the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development.
Eze said that the commissioner subsequently terminated the company’s certificate of occupancy within his two months in office, though it has since been reversed by court judgement. He further revealed: “What we have was a partnership with the Enugu State government. This partnership was signed in 2009. This required us to raise funds and technical expertise to develop a new township for Enugu State.
“We took a loan of N2 billion and our shareholders raised more money, which we invested and what we get in return is outright sabotage and frustration from the government of Enugu State.”