The Imo State Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, Barr. Enyinnaya Onuegbu, on Tuesday, June 3, clarified that the Mbaisii Land in Ngor-Okpala LGA which the state government allocated to the Zion Ministry Incorporated, followed due process and was done in the best interest of the state.
Onuegbu, was reacting to the allegations by the Mbaisii People’s Assembly and a former Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission NERC, Dr. Sam Amadi that the Imo State Government forcibly took over the Mbaisii farmland and gave the same to the Zion Ministry, crying out that such amounted to “economic genocide”
Describing the claims as false and misleading, Onuegbu, stated that the state government after due consideration only allocated 1,000 hectres of land to the Zion Ministry out of the 2,000 hectres its duly acquired in 2003 under a former Governor Achike Udenwa’s administration. He said that 30,000 hectres of land alleged to have been confiscated by the government in favour of the Zion Ministry was untrue.
According to him, the then Imo State Government after due diligence, observed the right procedures in acquiring the property, including interfacing with the landowners from Eziama, Ikem, Amala, Alatia and Ntu autonomous communities, performance of traditional rites and payment of compensations. He noted that the reaction was important to guide the public well.
He disclosed that most of the elsers of Mbaisii Clan who did the land transaction with the government are alive, and would not be part of the falsehood being peddled by some treapassers who he said resorted to blackmailing the government and the Zion Ministry after their efforts to illegally sell the land to the ministry failed.
The Commissioner recalled that the initial plan of the government was to use the land for Gwandom Project; an export processing zone in partnership with Chinese investors, but added that when the purpose never materialized, another government under Chief Rochas Okorocha, while taking possession, re-allocated the land to Imo-Chelsea Ltd for integrated agricultural project which also did not take off.
He noted that the state government considered allocating the land to the Zion Ministry as beneficial to the state among numerous applications from investors in recent times because of the prayer group’s satisfactory proposal to use the property for integrated development, including building of an auditorium, hospital, schools, industries, skills acquisition centre, market, estate and event center, while offering hope for jobs creation.
Onuegbu, while appreciating the development being attracted by the Zion Ministry to the area, urged the indigines to support the project in order to enjoy the benefits. He also called on other investors to come to Imo State, assuring them of safety, peace and returns on their investments.
He berated Dr. Sam Amadi and his group for attempting to twist facts and mislead the public against the state government, and wondered why they chose to abandon the matter that they instituted at the State High Court in respect of the land to resort to media trial, as he expressed respect for and confidence in the judicial process.
He advised the public to disregard them, insisting that the state government would not only recover its land throughout the land, but ensure that trespassers are prosecuted.
Our reporter also gathered that the youths from the communities that made up Mbaisii Clan, on Tuesday, carried out a demonstration in support for the Zion Ministry to continue its activities in the area without hindrance, saying that the presence of the ministry has brought turnaround to the area once abandoned.
Addressing newsmen, some of the youth leaders, including Hon. Everest Chike, Hon. Nwejie Kingsley and Engr. Anaelechi Chiemena Peter faulted Dr. Amadi and the Mbaisii People’s Assembly for changing the narratives in their bid to achieve what they described as selfish goals. They maintained that the land was duly acquired by the state government, adding that its allocation to the Zion Ministry was in the interest of the area.
