The people of Ugwunani Community, Abor UDI LGA in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria have cried out to the State government to vacate their land in the outskirts of Trans Ekulu and Phase 6 areas of the State.
Chairman of the Ugwunani Community Land Peace Committee, Dr Jude Okolo made the feelings of his people known in an interview with Journalists shortly after a peaceful protest staged by the people of Ugwunani at the disputed land.
Dr Okolo noted that some agents of the Enugu State Government through the State's Housing Development Corporation invaded over 2,000 plots of land in November and embarked on massive destruction of properties on the land.
Okolo said "the General Manager of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Mr Chiemelie Agu has no regard for our people, that is why he did not come to our village to discuss with us. What he just did was to select a few of our people who can always say yes to him, to work against our collective interest."
"We do not have the physical strength to challenge the State government, our only instrument is the legal process and God by our side, justice shall prevail", he added.
He said, that his people cannot be violent in their agitation, so they do not disrupt the peaceful environment already put in place by the Enugu State governor, Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.
The secretary of the Ugwunani community, Mr Josephat Ekete said, the peaceful protest was staged for people to know that Enugu State Government, through the State's Housing Development Corporation(ESHDC) has exceeded their boundary in the disputed land.
Mr Ekete recalled that a visibly large expanse of land was 2012, given to the State government, on promises yet to be fulfilled.
According to him, the promises made by the government upon acquisition of the land included: grading and asphalt an access road to the layout, provision of basic amenities like water, health care facilities, rural electrification and above all building a U-Road in the community which is threatened by erosion.
The secretary lamented the poor attitude of the government towards the welfare of the host community and said the only option was for the government to vacate the disputed area.
Mr Ekete noted that anything short of that would throw his village into crisis as the land in dispute had already been plotted and shared,
while some people have even sold their plots.
