Owerri housing estate residents urge FG to halt state govt’s encroachment

By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri

Residents of the Site and Services Housing Estate, Avu in Owerri West LGA of Imo State, have called for urgent intervention by the Federal Government to avert trespass on their land.

The residents who are members of the Avu Federal Housing Estate Neighbourhood Association, AFHENA, decried an alleged threat on their property by persons acting as agents of Imo State Government.

In a statement issued to newsmen by the association’s spokesman, Mr. Chimaeze Nwokenne and the secretary, Mrs. Nnenna Njideofor, the residents appealed to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, to urgently come to their rescue before it is too late.

They urged the Ministry to show serious commitment to ensure adequate protection of the allottees and their properties within the estate.

Nwokenne alleged that some persons came to the estate recently to brandish a document purporting to be revocation of the land by the Imo State Government.

He expressed concern over the purported plan by the state government to build its own housing estate at the same place allocated to them by the Federal Government and called for immediate intervention by the Federal Government.

He wondered why such a document by those acting as officials of the state government did not form part of the defence from the outset in Suit No: HOW/601/2017, if truly it had a legitimate origin.

Nwokenne explained that the state government had on Jan. 22, 1987, made an allocation of the expanse of land to the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

The spokesperson said that the Federal Government took exclusive possession of the land after paying compensation to the native customary owners and subsequently allocated plots to members of the public whose applications were successful.

According to him, several allotees had for more than 30 years, fully developed their respective plots in the estate while others were in different stages of development.

Nwokenne recalled that the then administration of Gov. Rochas Okorocha, invaded the estate and mercilessly destroyed several buildings and structures on the allegations that criminals were using the place as a hideout.

Following this development, he explained that allotees commenced a legal action and got two orders of the High Court of Imo State restraining the governor and the government from further trespass.

He stated that the then governor ignored the orders and proceeded to build the purported new headquarters for the State Command of the Nigeria Police and Correctional Service Housing Estate as “Security Zone.”

Nwokenne also alleged that Okorocha began to allocate several plots of the land to his friends and political associates in defiance of the order and pending suit in the court.

He stated that members of the association eventually got judgement over the entire land and continued to develop their different plots of land.

According to him, some of the persons unlawfully given allocation in violation of court order began to deploy Police to intimidate, arrest, detain and even prosecute the rightful allotees who are Judgement Creditors.

Thereafter, Nwokenne stated that the Federal Government through the then Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, wrote to the state government reiterating desire to retain its estate.

He noted that the present administration adopted the terms of reference given by the previous regime to the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Lands and Related Matters , Imo State (June 2006 – May 2019).

Nwokenne disclosed that the commission in its report recommended that the vast portion of land comprising the Site and Services Housing Estate should be restored to its original purpose and allocation.

According to him, it is the allocation made by the Federal Government to the members of the Avu Federal Housing Estate Neighbourhood Association.

“”The present Renewed Hope Administration in Imo State accepted the recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

“And it endorsed the Federal Government Site and Services Housing Estate and the allocations already made by the Federal Government at the Estate,” he stated.

Nwokenne said that the association had commended the present administration for complying with the court judgement with the recent demolition of the unsolicited dilapidated structures erected by Okorocha.

He said that the hope of the members was dashed when they heard that the structures were demolished to pave the way for a new housing estate intended by the state government.

“Incidentally, most of the allotees of the Federal Government on the land are indigenes of Imo State, many of who are now senior citizens.

“Will the present administration again dash the hopes of these allotees of the Federal Government who have suffered untold hardship and detention over the land legitimately allotted to them?,” he queried.

In a reaction, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Public Orientation and Strategy, Hon. Declan Emelumba said the injunction was interim adding that the state government would “never defy a Court order”.