The people of Umuonyima Autonomous Community in Owerri Municipal Council on Thursday protested with a coffin over forceful encroachment on their ancestral land at the Otamiri riverine area by an Imo State Government contractor.
The community said the recent encroachment is a total affront on their right to property ownership, especially the one bequeathed to them by their forefathers.
Speaking during the protest, the Secretary General, Elders in Council, Charles Ucheoma, explained that what prompted the protest was the thwarting of earlier agreement between the community and Chinedu Chukwunonye Company, where it was agreed that out of 170 metres of land, that the company should take 35 metres starting from the river base leaving the rest for the natives.
He said that the agreement which was initiated by the state government to maintain peace was totally flouted by the company as it went ahead to claim the entire land.
Ucheoma asserted that despite the community’s repeated peaceful engagements with the company, it still went ahead, subjecting the entire community to emotional trauma, fear and uncertainty, and destroying crops planted by the villagers.
“We have authentic documents given to us by the Ministry of Lands backing our ownership which was released to us by the state government in 2021.
“Despite that, we have written several petitions to relevant bodies informing them on the activities of the company and today we decided to go traditional by staging a protest with coffin to register our readiness and determination to stop any further encroachment,” he said.
The community secretary general advised the company to maintain the initial 35 metres already given to it and allow the villagers to make use of the rest, for the sustenance of their families.
He made it clear that the native owners of the land will employ both legal and traditional means to make sure their ancestral heritage is preserved and protected.
Elder Ucheoma narrated that the land owners remit reasonable amount of money to the state treasury and wondered why government will allow such action to be visited on community.
Speaking on behalf of the youths, Ikechukwu Nze said that the company exceeding what was given to it in the agreement amounts to land grabbing. He vowed that the youths are ready to resist the company’s action.
Mrs Fidelia Uzoma, speaking on behalf of the women, lamented that the crops they cultivated in the planting season have been destroyed by the company.
She added that the land in question is their only means of survival and whatever happened to it will affect the entire community.
“We depend on this land for our livelihood. The food we eat comes from this land and this is what remained for us after many encroachments by government and developers,” she said.
Mrs Uzoma urged Governor Hope Uzodinma to intervene and call the company to order.
