By Dennis Agbo

ENUGU- THE Nchatacha-Nike community in Enugu East local government area has protested an alleged Enugu state government’s annexation of their ancestral homes in the excuse of building a new Enugu city project.

The protesting community members where made up of youths, the elderly men and women, community leaders and residents in the community who had bought lands from the community members over the years and had developed the properties and lived thereon over the years.

The angry protesters carried placards with anti-Governor Peter Mbah inscriptions, others carried palm fronds and green leaves while they marched towards a particular spot where the community reported that the soldiers had taken over and destroyed their houses, farms and plantations.

The protesters contended that the community had given the state government about 245 hectares of land to use and join with other lands from other communities in Nkanu East, Nkanu west and Enugu North local government council areas for the construction of the New Enugu City project, but that the state government has gone beyond the community’s allocation to encroach in their native homes, asking them to pack away from their ancestral residences.

But the state commissioner for Information and communication, Mazi Aka Eze Aka said that it was not possible for government to encroach into any community land without due consultation with the host community, adding that government harnesses land for the benefit of its citizens.

Addressing newsmen at the scene of the protest, the President General of Nchatacha Nike community, Chief Michael Okoh said that, “the problem that makes my community to be protesting is because the Enugu state government has taken 80 percent of our community land and 50 percent of where my community is living is part of what the state government is taking. They said that they are taking it for the New Enugu City and we did not say that we cannot give the government land. The community has already agreed to give them 245 hectares of land to take and build the New Enugu and let them collect from other communities but the state government refused. They want to push us out from this our community and we don’t know where they want us to go and that is why my community is protesting.

“The government has started demolition, that even right now, today being February 17 2024, about 50 caterpillars are there demolishing our community, both people’s houses and crops, everything. On 14th February, the military guys the state government stationed there shot some people and used teargas on us.

“We want the world to come to our aid, to help us to talk to our Governor because maybe Our Governor does not know that such a thing is happening. The commissioner for works is the cause of this matter; he may not have told the Governor what is on the ground. If the commissioner had told the Governor what is on the ground, the people of Nchatacha-Nike would not be out of their homes. They have marked every house by force. There was no negotiation, no due process on how community gives out land. There was no consultation.”

The community’s woman leader, Mrs. Justina Nnamani said: “What is happening is that Peter Mba wants to take our land and we are asking him to leave our land for us. There was a large chunk of land given to him but he turned around to say we all should vacate our community and we don’t have any other land. I have continued to cry, I’m dying, I don’t know where to take my children to. We had gone to government house and pleaded with Governor Peter Mbah to leave our community for us because we have already giving the government somewhere else but he refused.

“They used teargas on us and I’m asthmatic, I’ve been going for treatment since then. The security agents have been shooting guns everywhere, since then our community has been in confusion, we don’t have residences again. The world should help us and ask Peter Mbah to leave our homesteads for us. All our cassava crops have all been uprooted, using soldiers to barricade us, where do we run to?

A native of the community, Mrs. Obinna Onyeachonam said that the problem was that “from nowhere my house was marked and given a number. When I inquired on what the matter was, I was told that Enugu state government wants to take the land. Without informing anybody, they just marked my house ‘X’. So I’m not happy about it and that is why we here protesting, no notice was issued to me and I have leaved in my house for ages.”

Over 70 years Mrs. Agnes Nwankwo said that her house has already been demolished together with all her farm crops and plantations. “I was not told the reason and no money was paid to me. The day that the demolition took place my husband was not around. She had gone to hospital. I’ve’ leaved in the house with my husband since I was a young girl, when I married my husband, I don’t know how many years we had leaved there before the demolition.”

Vice Chairman of the community, Mr. Sunday Nnamani said: “I’m not happy about what the state government is doing in our community. What is happening in Nchatacha-Nike today is that we voted for Peter Mbah, not knowing that we voted for problem. He just encroached into our land, saying that he wants to take everywhere we built our houses and it’s not good. Are we going to leave on top of trees? We had given the state government so many hectares of land for the project they said they want to do, but it’s insisting in taking over our ancestral homes and it’s not good, where else shall we leave, we don’t have any other place to go.”

The state government spokesman, Aka Eze Aka said: “The interest of government is to harness every land in Enugu state to the advantage of its people. Remember that sometimes in the past, there was a Gas flare in the area and government do not like people to be hurt around there, so all discussion about land will take place before any action is taken. It’s important to know that some people unnecessarily like to ignite the feelings of people. Nchatacha is not the only community that the government wants to use part of its land for the New Enugu City and government does not take people’s land without consultation without discussion.”