By Dennis Agbo

ENUGU—The hope of citing the Enugu Free Trade Zone, EFTZ, also known as ENPOWER, near 9th Mile has run into crisis as purported land owners have rejected the location at Okpoto-Nchanawa in Ogwofia Owa community of Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The community has subsequently petitioned Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, alleging ploy to expropriate their inheritance through the community’s traditional ruler, HRH Igwe Tom Inyiama.

But the monarch, Inyiama, denied the allegations against him, saying the Nchanawa village land was not part of the site for the proposed Enugu Free Trade Zone.

Ugwuanyi

In the petition to Governor Ugwuanyi through their counsel, OAU Onyema and Co, the Nchanawa village alleged that their monarch had been fighting to ensure that their land was compulsorily acquired even without their consultation.

The petitioners hinged their objection on use of their land in a similar acquisition for Enugu International Market along Enugu-Ontisha Expressway which has remained an abandoned project till date.

“Why is this expanse of land currently lying fallow, yet news filters the air as to another compulsory expropriation of the other side of Okpoto land with no consultation with the owners of the land?

“It is true that our clients are predominately farmers and had no other place for building or cultivation save the Okpoto land compulsorily acquired, devoid of compensation and lying undeveloped till today.”

“It will be most apposite for the government to compulsorily acquire another vast expanse of Okpoto land for Free Trade Zone since our client cannot leave in the air in total negation and derogation of their consultation,” said the petitioners.

Igwe Inyiama however stated that the Ogwofia Owa villages affected by the acquisition are Umuofune, Agbani and Egede, adding that the state government properly consulted the affected communities of Ogwofia Owa, Eke and Akama Oye.