Don’t Make Us IDPs In Our Land When We’re Not At War, Imo Communities Beg Federal Govt To Intervene Over FUTO Forceful Trespass Into Their Land
The lingering land disputes between the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), and her host communities have continued unabated, as the communities have accused the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Nnenna Oti, of conniving with some private real estate firms to grab their land.
The women groups comprising of Obinze, Iheagwa and Nekede communities, during their protests accused the Vice Chancellor Professor Mrs. Nnenna Oti, of working with the government to dispossess them if their ancestral land by forcefully appropriating their land without proper negotiation.
According to the leader of the group Mrs. Juliana Uzoegbu who spoke to journalists shortly after their protests at FUTO premises on Thursday said, the women are not happy over what is happening between FUTO and landlords, stressing that the only land remaining for their children and unborn children have been taken away without due negotiation.
Uzoegbu, also rued over that calamity that might befall the communities since the land meant for farming, which sustains the families have been forcefully taken away.
“Some of our children who worked hard for many years to earn a living came home and started their buildings. Some had even completed the buildings only for Mrs. Oti to come to our land backed Hope Uzodimma and brought down those houses.
“What crime have we committed. Obinze 34 artillery brigade is our land. New Owerri is part of our land taken over by the government. FUTO main campus is our land. This one that is meant for our kids is also being grabbed by FUTO under the guise of building a ‘Teaching Hospital. We say no to that.
“There’s no other land left for farming or to build houses. We appeal to the First to look for somewhere within the campus to develop their teaching hospital and any other thing they have in mind.She came hard on the management of FUTO, describing them as confused. She accused the management of having ulterior motif.
“They first claim they were appropriating our land illegally to build a hospital. Now they have added they also want to use it for estate. This is fraud and we can never allow it except they want to kill all of us”, she stated.
The woman Leader also lamented over how the government has inflicted them with hunger. She said: “Many of our people are dying because of hardship occasioned by wanton destruction of our farmland.
” We are contending, the management FUTO and other forces. We are tired and we want both State and federal government to go elsewhere and develop whatever they wish. Ngor-Okpala, Ohaji-Egbema among other local government areas that can boast of land mass. Owerri West has tried and we are fast losing it in the part of our children”.
Also speaking, Mrs. Evelyn Okochi from Iheagwa, Mrs. Justina Onyewuchi from Umuoma Nekede in their separate speeches, foreclosed any room for negotiation or compensation saying what they want is for FUTO to leave their remaining land meant for agriculture alone.
“Our children who stay abroad and other parts of the country, where would they build their houses when they come back to retire at home. If we allow grabbing of our land by the government, it would be a great disservice to our children.”God is watching adding that Professor Nnenna Oti is a woman let her have a listing ear to their crying”.
Meanwhile, some of the inscriptions on their placards read: From School Of Medicine To Housing Estate, Who Is Fooling Who? FUTO Answer The Question, God Is Watching.
“Prof. Nnenna Oti Don’t Allow The Fraudsters To Mislead You.
“The Former V.C Eze, PPP Orient Garden City, Mayor , Imo Housing, We Have Seen Your MOU. For Housing Estate Not School Of Medicine. Criminals.
Imo State Government Leave Our Land Alone Governor Hope Uzodinma”.
