BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, OWERRI

Elder Bernard A. Onyegbula of Umuoyima village, Owerri Municipal, is definitely not a happy man. He is completely heartbroken and he readily tells it to whoever cares to listen.

He equally tells people that he came to this point not by choice. The 73-year-old man is worried that his family’s major source of income has been destroyed, thus reducing them to abject poverty and want.

Bernard, who is today the head of Onyegbula dynasty, was born into a family, whose forebears were largely peasant farmers. To make ends meet, Elder Onyegbula’s forebears established a palm plantation. That was how Elder Onyegbula started narrating his current ordeal.

Our correspondent gathered that the travails of the old man started when the Rochas Okorocha administration decided to construct a road from the Owerri Catholic Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre, along Wetheral Road, Owerri, to join the ever- busy Owerri-Aba federal highway.

*Elder Onyegbula in his palm plantation

When he got wind of the imminent destruction of the family’s palm plantation, Onyegbula made frantic moves to reach Governor Okorocha, through a letter dated February 24, 2012. When this failed, he equally tried the former deputy governor, Sir Jude Ejiogu. His last resort was the State House of Assembly. His petition was never raised on the floor of the House till today.

“I sent a petition to the Speaker of the State Hoise of Assembly, through the member representing Owerri Municipal, Dr. Victor Mere. I was never invited by either the Committee on Public Petition or any other committee of the Assembly. I am equally not aware that my petition was ever mentioned on the floor of the Assembly,” Onyegbula lamented.

The sad octogenarian told Vanguard Metro, VM, that the plantation was destroyed February 23, 2012 by the contracting firm charged with the responsibility of connecting Aba-Owerri federal highway from the Owerri Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre.

The octogenarian was also said: “The most worrying aspect of the entire episode is that the proposed road was eventually diverted from the position of the palm plantation”.
The embittered old man have not ceased to wonder why the state government and the contracting firm chose to destroy the family plantation before deciding where the road project should traverse.

“What this means is that the Onyegbula family has completely lost its life savings and source of income at a time government is urging people to plant palms. This ugly situation has truly dashed our hope of training our children, as well as frustrated our ability to pay family bills as they come,” the heartbroken man lamented.

Part of the letter sent to Governor Okorocha and titled: “A passionate appeal for help”, read: “This plantation has over 150 stands of full grown and fruiting palm trees. The family also has fruiting orange trees, Udara trees and some other Igbo cash crops that are almost going extinct”.

Apart from the foregoing, Onyegbula made a very passionate plea to Okorocha. Hear him: “We must state in clear terms that we are not interested in stopping any government project, especially when it is well thought out and ultimately in public interest”.
Continuing, Onyegbula lamented that the Onyegbula dynasty is down and out but “we can bounce back to life” with the Governor’s assistance.

“We appeal that government allocates another piece of land to us, as well as assist us with the procurement of palm seedlings to start the palm plantation again. Government has this capability, especially as it is desirous to help Imo farmers to produce enough food to feed the teeming populace. Nobody has so far promised or paid any compensation to us to mitigate our huge loss,” Elder Onyegbula lamented.

The aged man further explained that they decided to approach Okorocha because they saw him as their last resort in the matter.

“Your ability to help us is not in doubt. Your administration would have rescued and restored our lives and hopes if this is done for us. The truth is that this mail was never replied and members of the entire family has continued to suffer. Another thing to think about is: If and when the Governor decides to replace the palm seedlings and give the family another piece of land, will I enjoy the palm fruits before I answer the ultimate call? This is my worry,” Elder Onyegbula said.