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The government of Imo State don talk about the story wey dey go round say dem forcefully collect land from Umuelu village for Umuagwo, Ohaji/Egbema. The Commissioner for Lands, Enyinna Onuegbu, tell news people for him office say even though government get plan to use some land for development for that area, the plan still dey for early stage. He say government never tell anybody or group to enter the land.
Onuegbu say government still wan talk with the community. He explain say government dey process how to get the land, and even though Surveyor General don do survey of the place, the original owners of the land and people wey buy land for estate go get their money before government do anything. He even quote law say government can collect land if dem ready to pay people wey get proper interest for the land wey dem call Ogburuzo Ugwu.
But before this government talk, the Umuelu community people talk their own say government people just enter their ancestral land and destroy their farm crops and houses without telling them anything. Their spokesperson, Marcellenius Chukwu, tell news people say dem come to the Ministry to ask if government know about the people wey enter their farm with plenty security men with gun, claiming say dem be government officials.
Chukwu say the villagers shock when dem see strange people surveying and using bulldozer for their land with soldiers and police wey carry big gun, dey shoot anyhow and chase away villagers wey come ask wetin dey happen.
He say some people don buy part of the land for estate and dem dey use am well well, say the land belong to Umuelu Umuagwo, no be Nkarahia Mgbuishi. The community spokesperson say nobody ever argue about this land since their forefathers give am to them.
He talk say plenty farm crops worth millions of naira and good houses wey developers build dem destroy. Chukwu say if government want the land, dem suppose follow the correct way, say dem be law-abiding people and dem like good development, because before now, dem don give government their land for University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. He even remind government say dem win one land case for Supreme Court with their neighbor community and this land no be part of that fight. He say even though government own all land, dem suppose follow law to collect their own.
Another community leader, Joseph Anokwuru Lechi, add his voice say the community go fight any attempt by government or anybody wey wan use force enter their land. He beg government to think about the original owners and people wey buy land legally before dem do anything. Lechi warn government make dem no allow land grabbers use their name to steal people land. So the matter dey hot now between Imo State government and Umuelu community over this land issue.