Owerri Community, Imo Govt At War Over Lock Up Stalls

PROTESTING OWERRI YOUTHS

Umuodu Umuihugba community in Owere Nchi Ise,  Owerri municipality, Imo State have embarked on a peaceful protest to express their resentment over the deliberate refusal of the rescue mission administration of Owelle Rochas Okorocha to abide to the terms of an agreement over construction of lock up shops and stalls at Relief market, Owerri.

Trouble began for the State Government when the community’s town crier went round the community informing youths, women and the elderly to storm the market for the protest.

This led to massive turn out of the villagers who carried placards at Relief Market, lamenting over the default of the State government to honour an agreement with the community before the construction of the market began.

Some of the placards read “Owelle Rochas, Listen to the voice of Umuihugba Umuodu people on the new shopping plaza”, Senior Advocate of the Masses, Give instruction on the shopping plaza”

Some of the demonstrators who spoke to this newspaper recalled that the officials of the State Government led by the Chief of Staff, Sir Jude Ejiogu, the then S.A Chieftaincy Affairs to the Governor(Now Mayor of Owerri), Nze Ben Osuji, the member representing Owerri municipal State constituency in the Imo House of Assembly, Hon Victor Mere,  the then commissioner for Industry and Commerce, Ichie Uche Mbanaso and Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Development, Uche Nwosu had approached the community sometime last year where an agreement between the state government and the community on the construction of the shops was sealed.

Part of the agreement, according to them includes 30% allocation of the stalls to the community while government takes 70% after its construction.

According to them, the agreement was done in good faith as the Chief of Staff and other government functionaries at the meeting commended the community for their fair, humane and peaceful disposition towards the government on the issue.

They expressed regret that after more than four months the agreement was conceived and the shops constructed at the site without any form of molestation on the contractors by the community, the State government refused to sign the agreement and has gone ahead with the construction of the stalls which is nearing completion. 

They alleged that the state government have gone ahead to allocate stalls to some individuals, an act which contravenes the tenets of the agreement with Umuodu Umuihugba community.

They further contend that the State Government have not been sincere in its dealings with the community, wondering why their land had to be forcefully taken without compensation and deliberately refused to stick to the terms of the agreement the community entered into it on the stalls.

 Efforts of the representative of the State government and the new MD of Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA, Mr. Chima Anozie(Home Base) who visited the site to calm the angry protesters was futile.

He however said the State Government was deeply concerned with the situation and would ensure that the agreement with the community is honoured.

But an elder in the community who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that the posture of the State government representative is a smokescreen, a deceptive move and the usual stunts of the rescue mission disciples of Governor Rochas Okorocha to calm them down and make away with the stalls later.    

He contended that they have suffered untold hardship and deprivation in the hands of successive state governments over land issues as many of their lands have been taken away from them without compensation, stating that they will resist any attempt whatsoever to deprive them of the stalls at Relief Market.  

According to him,  past and present state governments forcefully took over their lands without compensation at  Fire Service Station, Owerri Urban Police Station, NEPA Sub Station, GTC, Dan Anyiam Stadium, Relief Market, Part of ITC, Ikenegbu Layout Extension, Federal Housing Estate (Egbu Road), Central Bank Quaters, NEPA Substation 11 main, New Market Industrial Layout, Cemetery, Area c, etc.