By Tochi Onyeubi
Members of Emeabiam community in Owerri West LGA of Imo state, has raised alarm over an alleged plot to annihilate youths of the area.
Trumpeta gathered that, members of the community who play host to the Imo Rubber Estate were already dissatisfied by activities of the management of the rubber plantation in the community held a peaceful protest towards the end of last year to show their grievances.
Part of their dissatisfaction it was learnt, was as a result of the lack of basic amenities in the community which they should have benefits accruing to them as host community who leased out over 1260 hectares of their land to the then Eastern region Government for the rubber plantation in the community, and has over the years not lived up to their promises to the people.
A youth leader and member of the local security outfit of the community, Ndukuba Stanley Osuji told Trumpeta that, problem started when enraged youths on a peaceful protest to the rubber plantain, intercepted and seized two lorry loads of rubber raw materials alleged to be worth One Hundred Million Naira, on its way out from the plantation.
According to him, the police action alleged to have been pioneered by the acclaimed caretaker of the Estate, one Charles Udemba was in respect of the recent peaceful protest embarked upon by the youths of Emeabiam.
Narrating the incident, Osuji said, “During the Christmas period precisely from 24th through 27th December 2020, Emebiam youths, under the umbrella of Emeabiam Youth Assembly, planned and carried out a peaceful protest to attract government attention by stopping lorries from entering and lifting rubber lumps (raw materials) from the community and also intercepted two Lorries in the community.”
“We only see the Rubbers being exported from our community to different cities, sometimes with Dangote trailers, we learnt that a trailer of the natural resources is sold for One Hundred Million Naira, yet the host community still languishes in abject poverty.” He added.
This may have infuriated those involved, as the community was awoken with a rude shock when on the 27th of December 2020, the same Charles Udemba who claimed to be the Caretaker and a contractor, allegedly in company of several other Hilux vehicles loaded with Army officers made their way to Emeabiam.
Osuji added that, but for the timely intervention of the First Lady of Ondo state, Her Excellency Chief Mrs Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, Ada Emeabiam II, who was on her way for a church service in the community, there would have been blood bath in the community.
Our sister tried to find out on whose order they came, only to realise they were on an illegal mission as they were not from Obinze Military command, sensing their plot was uncovered, the army officers escaped. However, the contractor who accompanied them was reported at the Nekede- Ihiagwa police where he was detained.
Osuji recalled that early 1960s when their community leased over 1,260 hectares of their land to the then Eastern region administration for the purpose of Imo State Rubber Estate Plantation till date, their community has absolutely nothing to show for it.
He decried that all agreements had by their fathers who did their best to see that the community benefits as host community has proved abortive.
In a media chat with another stakeholder of the community, he complained that Emeabiam has suffered a lot due to lack of basic amenities and unemployment added that all the roads leading to the Rubber Estate are in bad shape.
He stressed that schools in the area have remained in bad shape with almost no teachers due to the state of the roads, none of their youths are employed or even in the management board of the rubber plantation, adding further that healthcare system is non existent as they do not have a health center, which has left their mothers to die at the mercies of local birth attendance from complications of child birth.
“We learnt that the revenue coming from Rubber Estate , you cannot find be found anywhere in Imo State budget any longer” he said.
In his words, “my people now live in fear because of the arrest here and there.”
Is it now a crime to do a peaceful protest in Nigeria?
Government should please look into this and come to our rescue”.
