Stephanie Michaels
The people of Umudiagu Mbieri and Umu Imeka Orji Communities in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State on Monday, organized a peaceful protest against what they described as forceful acquisition of their ancestral land at Mechanic Village Orji by agent of the state government.
The protesters who accused Hon Jasper Ndubuaku ,the Chairman of Imo Asset Recovery Committee of allegedly collecting a whopping sum of #5 Million from mechanics in the state to influence their return back to Orji Mechanic village ,appealed to Gov Emeka Ihedioha ,Imo State Governor to please come to their rescue by stopping his aide from returning their land back to the mechanics .
Some of the placards carried by the protesters read: “Jasper Ndubuaku we don’t want to see you in our land again be warned, Mechanic Village belongs to Umu Imeka Village Orji, it’s not government land, Jasper stay away from our land, Forceful takeover of our land is anti-people among other inscriptions.
Addressing newsmen while the protest lasted, a community leader, Obingaya Felix Izu Anoxie argued that a government appointee cannot just jump into people’s land without due consultation.
He said “We are angry because Hon Ndubuaku met with the leadership of Mechanics in the state last week Thursday ,where money allegedly exchanged hands and promised the Mechanics that he will revisit our land yesterday .”
He said the Rescue Mission government invaded our land with share brute force, claiming that they want to build and we kicked against it now an appointee of the state government now wished to toe their path.
Anozie lamented that following the activities of the rescue mission government of Gov Rochas Okorocha’s on the said land , the Original Land Owners of Orji Mechanic Village made up of Indigenes of Umudiagu Mbieri and Umu Imeka Orji Communities respectively instituted a matter in the High Court Owerri with suit no :HOW/5981 /2017 against the state government ,Attorney General of Imo State and Commissioner For Lands ,Urban Planning and Development.
He further said the people of Umudiagu Mbieri and Umu Imeka Orji Communities had already secured an Ex- Parte motion restraining the Imo State Government or its agents from interfering, trespassing or dealing with the Mechanic Village land pending the determination of the matter in the Court.
He thereby made a passionate appeal to the rebuild Imo government of Rt .Hon Emeka Ihedioha that is renowned for due process to please halt the activities of Hon Ndubuaku with the leadership of Mechanics in Imo.
