Family accuses polytechnic of land grabbing, other offences

A family in Owerre Ohodo in the Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, has accused the Federal Polytechnic Ohodo and its officials of allegedly taking over about 40 acres of its ancestral land without consultation or compensation.

The Umu Ogbonogu family also alleged that the fencing off of the land led to the desecration of an ancestral shrine and burial ground.

The family made the allegations on Tuesday in Enugu by the head of family and President General of Owerre Autonomous Community, Chief Ikechukwu Asogwa.

Asogwa said the land was taken without any engagement with the family, adding, “I am directly from Umu Ogbonogu clan, where our ancestral land was forcibly taken without consultations, no interface, no discussions, nothing. We woke up one day to see that the land had been barricaded.

“There was a very big shrine in that particular place. The law says there is freedom of worship, but in our case, we have been denied that right.”

Asogwa maintained that Ohodo had no communal land, arguing that lands in the area were owned by families.

“In Ohodo where I come from, we don’t have any communal land. What we have are ancestral land and family land,” he said.

He alleged that individuals who were not members of the family signed documents, including a memorandum of understanding, relating to the land.

“There was no meeting with the families, no consultation with the families, and no interface with the families, absolutely nothing! What we saw was that a group of people just signed a document,” he said.

He further alleged that appointments intended for the host community were shared among the same group of people, with some allegedly sold.

“The rightful owners of the land were denied employment, whereas their land was forcibly taken,” he said.

The family member also accused the polytechnic authorities of contributing to the decline of Community Secondary School, Ohodo, alleging that funds provided for the school’s take-off and relocation of pupils were not properly utilised.

He said the community was subsequently asked to contribute money towards providing another learning facility, which he claimed was not completed.

Asogwa said the family was not opposed to the establishment or development of the institution, but wanted members’ rights respected.

He called for clarification on how the land was acquired and who authorised the documents on behalf of the family.

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He also said the family had petitioned the National Security Adviser office over the dispute and alleged that a committee which was subsequently constituted to address the matter did not protect the interest of affected family and community.

Asogwa said the family wanted the matter resolved peacefully through legal and administrative channels.

Another family member, who declined to mention his name, appealed for the removal of the fence erected around the disputed land to enable the family rebury its ancestors and relocate the shrine.

“We are ready to negotiate and come to an agreement if the land is required for development.

“They can come to us officially and we will negotiate with them, sign a Memorandum of Understanding, so that we can rebury our loved ones there,” he said.

The family is presently demanding an investigation into the alleged acquisition, clarification of the documents used in the transaction, removal of the fence and a formal process for any proposed acquisition of the land.

The Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Ohodo, Dr. Ediri Emmanuel Agada, declined comment when contacted on the telephone. He subsequently switched off his phone.

Some residents, however, pointed out that the key figures involved in the land transaction were acting on directives of the Enugu State Government under former governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

The town’s monarch. Igwe David Asogwa, acknowledged that the land belonged to private families rather than the community as a whole, but defended the acquisition actions under the Land Use Act.

“The Commissioner for Lands and Survey called us in Enugu and told us to sign, who were we to say no? If they want damages for their economic trees and crops, they should complain to the state government or go to court,” he said.

Similarly, Alphonsus Ugwuafia, former President General of the Ohodo community, said, “When the government called me to come and sign, I signed as the community leader.”

He declined to address allegations of forgery or uncompensated acquisition.