…They’re changing the narratives? – Commissioner Ogbonna
Oha Ogwu-in-Council, the highest decision-making body of Ogwu Community in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, has accused the state Commissioner for Energy and Solid Minerals, Hon Enyinnaya Ogbonna, of frustrating their efforts to construct pathways around a vast community land allegedly being used as a kidnap den.
Members of the council that spoke with THE WHISTLER, weekend, claimed that the commissioner mobilised youths to stop the caterpillar they brought from clearing the land.
One of them, Ichie Michael Obeta, said the proposed pathways would strategically curtail the movement of kidnappers who take the route to move their captives to Benue. He also said it would enable the community’s neighbourhood watch to maintain a maximum surveillance on the land.
Quoting him, “Kidnappers are operating in our place. I once stormed where they camped in our forest. I saw what they collected from their victims. They have also kidnapped our son, Brendan Nwa Ezeme Ugwuebonyi. A ransom of N3m was paid. He was kidnapped alongside many others recently. They were camped at Ogwu forest. It is from there that they moved them to Benue. We, the Oha-in-Council, resolved that we construct pathways so that the area can be accessible, especially to our security operatives. It will help in their patrol. We also know that kidnappers don’t find accessible roads convenient. The land is vast. We pleaded with our children to raise funds. With that we hired a caterpillar to create pathways around our community.”
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He alleged that the commissioner mobilised some people to stop the caterpillar from working. He said, “Is the commissioner the landowner? Ogwu owns the land. Our rule is that anyone above 18 and married is entitled to get a land allocation there. If after five years and the person hasn’t built a house on the land, we reclaim our land. It is our resolution that we construct the pathways. This is signed by the Oha Ogwu-in-Council.”
Chief Amos Obetta, another member of the Elders’ Council, begged Gov Peter Mbah to wade into the matter. According to him, “The governor should caution the commissioner. The commissioner should have respect for the elders in the community. The youths should see reasons why we should live in peace. This matter is dividing our youths into two. We have been invited by security agencies over this issue. We are alleged to be creating crisis in the community. It is alleged that some of our youths are the ones threatening to burn the caterpillar. I appeal for peace.”
The President of Ogwu Youths, Ejike Odo-Obule, appealed for peace in the interest of the community. He said, “We are together in this effort. We want peace. We are not happy over the growing kidnap cases in and around our community. The vast land in question is a hideout for these criminals. When it is opened up, we expect that it will reduce the excesses of these criminals. Again, no community develops when its peace is threatened.”
Why are they changing the narratives? – Hon Ogbonna
Commissioner Ogbonna has however described the allegation as “diversionary”.
According to him, the land in question is under litigation. “I’m standing on truth to avoid breakdown of law and order in my community.” He also said the head of the Elders’ Council (Oha Ogwu) died recently and yet to be buried, and claimed that the current misunderstanding has nothing to do with insecurity.
He said, “What I’m trying to stop is a major community crisis. Who is the head of Oha Ogwu-in-Council? It is the eldest. The eldest has died and currently in the mortuary. The land is in court. Why are they going into the land when there are two factions fighting over it? I don’t have any hand in stopping them from creating pathways. They keep alleging, but that is their problem. Till tomorrow I stand by the truth. These people, instead of them going to bury the eldest, and allow another person to emerge, they want to go and share community land before burying the deceased.”
He said bringing kidnapping matters into the issue was a distraction. In his words, “These are blatant lies. When Udenu LGA came to acquire the land to expand Obollo-Afor, these people refused. They accused me of selling the land to the government. I wasn’t even a commissioner then. They are claiming I’m stopping them to create pathways. Who am I to stop them? With what power am I stopping them? Those people they claim were mobilised are people that I am not even in support of what they are doing. There is an injunction on that land.
“Am I among in the case? My hands are clean. They are threatening me, maybe when you write about it, I will give in, but I won’t. It is not possible. I stand on justice. My own is let there be peace in our community. I have already, ahead of time, gone to the security agencies to avoid breakdown of law and order. I must warn you, if I see any malicious information against me, I will sue because I have damning evidence against them. Why are they trying to twist the narratives?”
The salient issue
THE WHISTLER gathered that the current imbroglio was preceded by an interest by the government to take over the land for development. Commissioner Ogbonna acknowledged that the move was thwarted by some stakeholders of the community.
It was gathered that the Oha-in-Council had afterwards set a committee to allot the land to qualified community members, but the nine-man committee allegedly did not follow the guidelines and began to be partial, hence the revocation of the shared portions by the Elders’ Council.
Iche Obetta alleged that, “The committee set up to share the land was given some people thirty plots. Some got fifteen plots. We in Oha-in-Council were allotted two plots, then suddenly they said the land had finished. That is our anger. That is how we cancelled and revoked the sharing. It was announced on radio and published in newspapers.”
The matter going to court, it was learnt, was when members of Ogwu General Assembly summoned the land committee to account for the land.
“The committee refused to render accounts,” said a member of the community on condition of anonymity. “When our son was made a commissioner, we thought things would be better, but he is taking sides, aligning with the people that were told to render the accounts. Nobody is contesting the ownership of the land. It belongs to Ogwu. It is not by mobilising youths. The commissioner wanted to give the land to the government, but the community resisted. We know what they are set to achieve. Those that sold the land are afraid that the buyers would fight back, so they want to frustrate it. Those in court are the committee that shared the land and OGA. Oha Ogwu-in-Council is the custodian of the land. The decision to create the pathways was taken even before the death of the elder. It shouldn’t stop the implementation.”
The committee, it was gathered, sued OGA to court on the ground that it was not OGA that assigned them to carry out the land demarcation. The matter is still in court.
Iche Michael Obetta, a member of the council, advised members of the committee not to abuse the decision of the Elders, maintaining that, “Land is nature, and is owned by the entire Ogwu people. Our youths should learn trades. They should avoid vices. They should be useful to our community. The fact is that Oha Ogwu has revoked the land which the committee shared.”