On November 4th, some of the leaders of Amaise Ahaba Autonomous Autonomous gathered at the place of HRH Eze Daniel Ozioma Nwogu but unknown to them, it was not a village meeting as expected, rather the Autonomous Community played host to Abia state government officials from Umuahia, the state capital, led by the Honourable Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Chaka Uche Chukwumerije, Mr. Chinanu Nkume, Director of Lands, Ministry of Lands Umuahia and their entourage for the purposes of acquiring some portions of Land to build what they termed , “A modern trailer park”,. The land according to the owners measure about 9.5 hectres on one side and another 3.5 hectres. Curiously, despite the rejection of the project by the land owners, the officials, led by the Director of Lands, Mr. Chinanu Nkume, with the help of the traditional ruler, HRH Eze Daniel Ozioma Nwogu engaged some youths to cut the trace on the land. However, the land owners queried why Director of Lands, Mr. Chinanu Nkume will enter their private properties without informing the land owners, insinuating the Umuakwu Nsulu, Isiala Ngwa North born civil servant must have a hidden agenda by helping Gov. Alex Otti in his plot to destroy Ngwa Land, wondering what he must have been promised before he took this inglorious part to betray his own people.
The Youth Protest
The youth Executives of Amaise Ahaba in general, took to the streets on Friday, 15th December, 2023 to draw the attention of the Governor of Abia state, Dr. Alex Otti, Ndi Abia and Nigeria in general of their total rejection of the proposed TRAILER PARK, listing out the evil associated with allowing the dreaded Fulani – Herdsmen access to their communities and condemned the intention, which they described as wicked and intentional to punish Ndi Ngwa and pay them with a bad coin after supporting Alex Otti to become Governor.
They also accused their two traditional rulers, HRH Eze Daniel Ozioma Nwogu and HRH Eze Onwuasonya of betraying the people they are supposed to lead by entering into a secret agreement with Abia state Government to bring Fulani – Herdsmen for their own selfish reasons, and not for the interest of Amaise Ahaba Autonomous community. They accused them of getting financial gratification and promises of collecting some percentages from the revenue that will be be generated if the project comes on stream but slammed the traditional rulers for their insensitivity to the plight of having Fulani – Herdsmen in their locality and vowed to resist the project at all cost.
Some of the placard reads ”
“AMAISE AHABA REJECTS TRAILER PARK, IT BREEDS CRIMINALS”; “WE DON’T NEED TRAILER PARK “; “WE DON’T HAVE LAND FOR FULANI – HERDSMEN” amongst others.
Mr. Nwaiwu, Youth Chairman had earlier told our reporter thus; ” My people don’t need a TRAILER PARK because of the number of families it will displace and the high crime rate associated with such projects which will cost us our peaceful coexistence”, ” Looking at what is happening at Lopanta, Umunneochi LGA, where kidnapping has taken over that area, even stretching to other Local Government Areas within that locality, we are not in support of the project in whatever guise or decorative name it may be called by the state government.
Contributing, Mr. Ikenna Ezindu, one of the people that signed the letter of appeal to Gov. Otti is asking the Governor to have a rethink on the project, ” Truly, we need developmental projects from Otti led government but not this type of “TIME BOMB PROJECT” “We all know the atrocities going on in Lokpanta and Eleme because of trailer parks. The trailer park will bring kidnapping, prostitution, hard drug peddling, cattle grazing on peoples farms, robbery, killing and all kinds of crimes in the entire Isialangwa south if it starts functioning”. Mr. Ikenna stated “. He said he was sure it’s not really a trailer park but a second cattle market, adding that, under the Animal Quarantine Act of Nigeria, a cattle market or market for animals can only be permitted at a BORDER community. None of the communities proposed for the trailer park/cattle market is a border community.
Allegation of bribery against the traditional ruler
On the unconfirmed allegation of betrayal levelled by the youths against HRH Eze Nwogu and HRH Eze Onwuasanya that has since dominated discussion for the past one month, www.newsmirrorng.com called the traditional ruler, HRH Eze Nwogu, he told our reporter that his subjects are accusing him of collecting bribe from government and has also shared between N100 thousand to N150 thousand naira to his cabinet members and village heads. HRH Eze Nwogu and challenged anyone with proof of the bribery to come forward with it. Reminded the dangers associated with the project, HRH Eze Daniel Ozioma Nwogu insist it’s a developmental project by government, and therefore cannot challenge it. But a youth who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, HRH Eze Nwogu is only being selfish and thinking about the money he would be making, therefore bent on destroying his community but not the criminality of Fulani – herdsmen, wondering why a leader would betray his subjects for the love of money
However, from our findings, the people have vowed to lay down their lives to defend their inheritance and ancestral land and if Abia state government did not do a rethink and stop the project, it may lead to tale of sorrows, tears and blood and the message is spreading all over Ngwa Land and breeding hatred for the Alex Otti led administration around the entire Ngwa Nation.
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