Onwa Ibusa
Dike Anioma.
[dropcap]R[/dropcap]ecently the SSG took out an announcement over the acquisition and encroachment of govt land at the Asaba airport and it’s adjoining environs. Let me state here that the entire aquisition is not only flawed, but smarks of arrogance, disdain and total disrespect to the Ibusa people that owns majority of the vast airport land.
The govt has continued forcefully to barge into our communal and private land, without consultations, negotiation and adequate compensation in the last 8years.
I have the privilege to be the holder of the power of attorney from Umuodafe Uku Igbuzo, component of land owners at the airport and have repeatedly in collaboration with our standing land committee and family union engaged two past commissioners of land, Mr Dan Okeyin and Chika Ossai, culminating in discussions with former SSG Ovie Agass and also his excellency the governor, senator Ifeanyi Okowa on numerous occasions.
We also had discussions with former gov Uduaghan over same forceful acquisition of our land, totally over 10,000 plots of our ancestral and farmlands bequeathed to us by our progenitors.
This forced intrusion is one insult too many by a govt that arrogantly perceives itself to be all knowing and lacks the required finess in dealing with group interest. We concede that govt can acquire land for overall public interest for developmental purposes,but there are procedures and legitimate way of doing so as prescribed by the land use act. The govt have not only barged into our community land, but have also barged into my personal land and taking over about 100 plots of my own land.
Enough is Enough.
4 weeks ago, I confronted Prof Sylvester Monye, former SSG Agass and Chika Ossai at same site at the airport,and it was agreed that the entire acquisition process should be reviewed and the proper procedure followed.
We were taken aback to see the belligerent publication by Chiedu Ebie, the current SSG threatening the Ibusa legitimate land owners of arrest on their own lawful land.
So what is the difference between the current herdsmen palaver with this type of forceful conduct.
A community that has a professor as her paramount ruler, a sitting senator, a member of the house of assembly and chief whip of the assembly can’t be treated like a conquered people with so much arrogance on all issues of governance,without consultations,as if we are a conquered people.
Enough is Enough.
There is no further land to be acquired by govt and eventually shared by the rampaging norve rich political class under the guise of Airport concenssioning/expansion.
The ones taken, should be regularised, and adequate compensation of 1billion naira paid with no further acquisition, as Asaba airport right now has enough land for future developments more than any airport in Nigeria.
We call on his excellency to ask his appointees for proper briefing,because we are sure he will not approve of such illegalities.
Let’s do the proper thing, to avoid unpleasant developments on our land which are avoidable if wise counsel prevails.
Chief Fred Chijindu Ajudua
Onwa Ibusa
Dike Anioma.
