Anambra Govt, Community Bicker Over Land Acquisition

The people of Isu-
Anaocha in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, embarked on a protest against the acquisition of their land by the state government.
The protesters, numbering about 200, and mostly farmers, stormed the Government House, Awka with placards chanting war songs.
On getting to the Government House, the security men at the gate directed them to the Ministry of Lands where the President-General of the community, Mr Alfred Nkwonta, addressed the commissioner.
Nkwonta said that they received a notice of the revocation of the Right of Occupancy on October 2, 2014 and subsequently, a letter of acquisition of Otoko, Umuelom and Umudunu farmlands.
According to him, the said farmlands occupy 108.462 hectares of land and they are planned for acquisition by the government at N80 million for the construction of a housing estate.
“The community does not even have land so much as to give out 108 hectares; moreso when it was done without proper consultation with the villagers.
“If Governor Willie Obiano, who takes food production as the main pillar of his administration forcefully acquires the land, we the affected villagers cannot survive as local farmers.
“Again, the affected villagers did not mandate any person to negotiate or carry out transactions with the government.
“We plead with the government to stop further dealings or transactions with any person relating to the said land,” the president-general said.
In her response, the state’s Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Planning, Mrs Stella Onuorah, said that the land was acquired legally and compensation paid appropriately to original owners.
“We must appreciate the fact that the governor has the right to revoke the right of occupancy of any land for overriding public interest.
“Governor Obiano felt that there was the need to create satellite towns because housing is one of the enablers of his four pillars of development,” she said.
According to her, after the acquisition, the community appointed a valuer, Mr George Lynn, who worked with the Ministry of Lands and some members of the community to evaluate the land.
Onuorah said that Nkwonta, Mr V.N. Okonkwo, Chief Donatus Okeke, Mr Lawrence Okoye and Chief Cosmas Okonkwo were all served the acquisition notices.
She argued that it was after the acquisition that the governor was written for possible compensation which was approved and the valuer job handed over to Lynn and some people from the area.
“The day we gave out the money, it was announced and reported in the media for all to know what was paid and who received what as the government had nothing to hide about the process,” she said.
Onuorah, however, said the money had not been disbursed because the estate valuer later found out that another community was laying claim to some parts of the land.
“So, he decided to delay payment to ensure that the matter is resolved in favour of the proper land owners,” the commissioner said.