Jubilation in Onitsha as Family Recovers Ancestral Land 15 Years After Grabbers’ Take-Over

By Praise Chinecherem

It was jubilation galore in Umuaroli village, Onitsha in Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State as members of the Agwuzani family finally gained access into their ancestral land.

The Agwuzani family was said to have been denied access to the said land known as the Ogwugwu Agbu by land grabbers over 15 years.

The jubilant family members during the visit to the land, chanted solidarity songs in appreciation to Governor Chukwuma Soludo, for intervening in the matter and rescuing them from the hands of oppressors.

They were accompanied to the land by government security operatives for fear of attack by the land grabbers and some security personnel allegedly on their payroll, who had prevented the family from entering the land.

Addressing newsmen during the visit to the land, head of the Agwuzani family, Comrade Sunday Ogoazi, disclosed that the land measured over 1,000 hectares, adding that they gave government two third of it and were compensated.

He said it was the compensated portion the land grabbers encroached on which led to litigation.

He said, “When we proceeded to court, the court directed that no one should enter the land until judgement is given.

“Last year, the court eventually gave its judgement, but when we come here, they will use security to chase us away, threatening to kill us.

“Now, after the judgement, we wrote the governor with the entire judgement details from the courts, to come and assist us to access our land.

“The governor, in his magnanimity, answered us and intervened and gave us respite over those who oppress us.

“That is why we are here to appreciate the governor for rescuing us from the hands of the land grabbers, who have been threatening and oppressing us.

“It was so unfortunate that the security men here have been working with the land grabbers, providing them security and preventing us, the original owners of the land from going to our ancestral land.

“They mounted signposts and were selling our land as estate. How can someone from Ebonyi or Imo state, all of a sudden, have lands in Anambra to sell as estate?

“That’s why we are here to show our appreciation to the governor. It was his timely intervention that salvaged our situation.”

Also speaking, treasurer of the family, Elder Azubuike Ejiamike revealed how their forefathers were farmers and farmed on the ancestral lands before the coming of the Europeans.

“When we saw the benefits of Western education, they embraced it and gave the land to one Awasi Ejikeme from Nkpor, to be farming, after whose death, the children continued farming on the land.

“Now, about 15 years ago, when we wanted to enter the land about 15 years ago, there was a misunderstanding between the family members and we went to court.

“Now, after the disagreement was resolved about a year ago, we realized that security men had encroached on the land and were selling our lands.

“That was when we reached out to the governor, and he showed that is a god-loving man. This intervention of his will remain indelible in our lives,” he posited.

On his part, another member of the family, and Head, Medical Records Department at the Guiness Eye Centre, Onitsha, Comrade Peter Ogoazi Olisa regretted that the land had for long proved inaccessible to them, as administrations come and go with utopian promises.

“Today, the Soludo administration has salvaged us from these land grabbers, operating in connivance with vigilante operators, who are masquerading as security people, while running an estate business.

“Imagine where a vigilante operative is having an estate in someone’s ancestral land.

“This land, the agreement was reached in 1910, with the colonial masters and the land was gazette. The evidence is still in the archive and we brought it.

“When we wrote an SOS message to Governor Soludo, he asked to be allowed to make enquiries and after the enquiries he concluded that the land belongs to the Agwuzani family.

“He even told the land grabbers to come forward with any evidence, but none of them could prove anything beyond reasonable doubt.

“So, the governor concluded that the land belongs to us and he fostered our smooth takeover of our land by providing us security to enable us access our land, due to the several threats these land grabbers have made to us.

“We are very happy today and we thank the governor for this gesture.

“This is evidence of good governance and transparency, which will foster development and public trust in government.

“Today, the governor has also provided us pipe-borne water and we see his emergence as governor as a positive development, that has impacted Anambra State meaningfully.

“We pray that he will continue to provide this kind of leadership to all Anambra people so that the common man can have a say in the society.”