By Innocent Onyeukwu
The relationship between Owerre Nchi-Ise indigenes and Imo state Government has reached an alarming crescendo following allegations by Umuodu Community in Owerri municipality leveled against the Okorocha Administration.
The community stakeholders have accused the state government of reneging on it’s agreement over a piece of land belonging to Umuodu people located within the premises of Government Technical College (GTC), Egbu road, adjacent Relief market Owerri Yesterday, in the wee hours of the morning hundreds of Umuodu people comprising men, women and youths carried placards to express their anger over the illegal conversion of the land for another purpose.
They said the land was given to the state government for construction of a school and not for any other purpose.
Speaking to Trumpeta on the matter, the youth Chairman, Umuodu community Mr Anayo Igwe, said the community decided to invade the land to express it’s displeasure they Government’s action. He said the community had an agreement with a government contractor to build lock-up shops, but the agreement did not subsist because of unresolved issues.
He recalled that last year, some workers on the instruction of the Commerce and Industry commissioner moved into the site to erect structures without the consent of the people, stating that all efforts to discuss with the commissioner to ascertain Government’s action on the land was futile.
He said “After sometime, they removed the sand and chippings on the site, only for them to re-surface again this year. They brought in caterpillars claiming that the government wants to erect a wall to demarcate the land from the school. The story changed last Wednesday when they claimed that the land would no longer be used for the wall but for lock-up stalls”
Igwe wondered why stalls would be constructed on the land when there are hundreds of stalls unoccupied in the market.
Spokesman of the community, Surveyor Ferdinand Anoruo, echoed similar views, adding that the community is not opposed to the Imo state Government to from using the land for development purpose, but emphasized that the state Government must stick to it’s pledge to build a modern school on the land rather than construct market stalls.
Other demonstrators at the site wondered why the Okorocha Administration which professes free-education could derail from constructing a school at the site to build lock-up stalls without the consent of Umuodu community.
