Communities protest ‘land grab by government’ in Imo

Residents of Amaraku and Amano Anara autonomous communities, in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo, have protested the alleged grabbing of their ancestral land by the state government.

The protesters obstructed contractors from accessing a site at old Amaraku power development service (PDS).

The protesters were mostly women and widows who wielded placards bearing various inscriptions

They warned that the development may cause mayhem in the area if nothing is done urgently.

The Women Leader of Amano Anara autonomous Communities Mrs Edna Diwe, while speaking to newsmen during the protest, said that the little remaining portion of their lands had been forcefully taken by Imo State government.

She averred that the government left the portions given to them and encroached to the area they use for farming.

She said further, “we will never fold our arms and watch our ancestral land taken away from us. For whatever reason the land is being taken away from us, we are saying no to it because this is the only place we do our cultivation and farming.”

Sir Raymond Uchenna Ugorj, representing Umuonyekuba kindred of Umudimihie, Umuobasi Amaraku, one of the owners of the said land described the government’s action as victimization, adding it was not a communal land.

He querying the action of the government on why they would grab their land without recourse to the owners.

He said: “We woke up this morning and saw some earthmoving equipments in their farm land which drew their attention to embark on this peaceful protest. We are doing this to fish out those perpetrators of this act.

“Sometime in 2019, when the government of Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha initiated the construction of Standium in Isiala Mbano L.G.A and sited it here, we also protested and the government brought their agents and developers for talk. That talk was in progress before the Supreme Court removed him from office.

“Now Uzodinma’s government has come in, they want to now forcibly grabbed it from us.

“All we are saying is that the government should follow legitimate steps and stages which are necessary for both the vendor and purchaser to avoid compromise.”

The Traditional head of Umuobasi Village Amaraku Chief Kennedy Iwuala who is also one of the land owners in the area, said that the people were astonished to see tractors clearing their farmlands.

According to him, the response they got was that the government has mapped out the site for Housing Estate. In that regard, we mobilized our women to know what is actually going on. We want to be sure if government is actually behind this.”

But speaking with the Imo state Commissioner for Housing, Lady Love Ineh, she said, “government had sited housing estates for the low-income earners in the three senatorial zones including Isiala-mbano in Okigwe zone, Oru-west in Orlu zone and Nekede in Owerri. I am heading the committee.

“We have met with the Isiala Mbano Local Government Sole Administrator Hon. Geofrank Ijezie and other Traditional rulers from Okigwe zone.

“The land in question was acquired during the days of the former Governor Sam Mbakwe.
But Government is yet to get the list of the real owners of the land for proper discussion and compensation.”