By: CHUKS ONUOHA, Umuahia
Abia community women plan nude protest over land acquisition, police harassment
Umuana, a community in Umuahia North Local Government area of Abia State, which has been in the news recently over government acquisition of land in the community, has been thrown into more confusion. The situation is assuming a dangerous dimension, as women in the community are threatening to go naked if the authorities continue to harass youths and leaders of the community that have been resisting what they termed an illegal land acquisition.
People of the town are apprehensive, saying a number of their leaders and young men have already been arrested by security agents on spurious allegations. The women said they would not leave the Ukwu-Udara Village Square until the police stopped intimidating people of the community.
Initially, the women rolled on the ground from one part of the square to the other, chanting prayers and invoking the judgment of God upon those causing trouble in the community. Then on Monday, May 28, the women changed their style. On that day, they were all dressed in black tops and black head ties, indicating that they were in mourning. The scenario could be likened to the Aba women riot of 1929, in which women battled the authorities.
Their spokesperson, Mrs. Catherine Okpechi, while addressing the women, stated their grievances. “On Thursday, May 24, our chairman, Chief Akobueze Mmeregini was in his office when a group of people went and arrested him and some of his officials. They were arrested on the allegation that they broke the head of one of them, and have been trailing others with cutlasses.
The allegations were all formulated. It was just the excuse they needed to get these people out of circulation to enable them achieve an evil plot in the community. They know that these people were supposed to represent the community in land matters between the government and us. “This group has betrayed the entire community over a land which the government wanted to acquire from us.
Instead of passing through the genuine leadership of the community to acquire the land, members of the group presented themselves to government because of their closeness to the powers that be, collected money from them and signed papers that the land had been acquired by government. The lands are owned by individuals and families, not the community, and the people that got money from the government don’t even have a single property there.
“The community went to court and instead of the government to wait for the outcome of the matter, they went with bulldozers and destroyed several acres of cassava and yam farms belonging to the people which runs into hundreds of millions of naira.
“Because the matter was scheduled for hearing on a Friday, they came and arrested the community leaders the day before so that they would be absent in court on Friday. As this was going on, they brought in some loads of blocks, saying they were coming to continue the construction of the Community Hall, having put those who would challenge them away. Then those of us who are their wives and mothers said no, that we didn’t need their help in constructing the hall. We will continue staying here to make sure that they don’t put any block on this project.
We are not tired of doing our project ourselves and we are not soliciting for their assistance. So they should not come and put the money which they collected from the governor on our project knowing that the matter is pending before a court of competent jurisdiction, and because the money is already cursed.
“We don’t want them to say they brought the cursed money to build our community hall. They can go and enjoy their loot and leave our project for us. They handed over lands which they were not part of to the government without the knowledge of those who own them or the community members. The people who laid the foundation of that hall have not said they are tired of completing it.
“Many of our illustrious sons have donated projects to us in the past, but before they did that, they would call us together and tell us what they wanted to do for the community and we would show them some land and thank them for the gesture. But in this matter, they want to impose their project on the community and the community is saying no to it. We are here to ensure that they don’t tamper with this hall project in any way as they have detained our husbands and community leaders.
“They think we can’t do anything to stop them since they have detained our leaders, but we want to tell them that we are ready to stay here for one month or more. As you can see, we eat, sleep and wake here. For their plan to work, they should kill all of us. But they should pray that no person dies here. If any of us dies here, we shall go naked round the community and beyond to show the injustice that is going on in Umuana community, caused by a group of selfish individuals backed by a government that is headed by a man that is supposed to be our own son.
“It is not right that somebody will take another person’s property by force, and if the person talks, they would call Bakasi Boys and the police to beat up the owner of the property. Our young boys have all been chased away on allegations of kidnapping, robbery and other crimes just to cow them into accepting the injustice. We are here; we are not running anywhere. We want them to come and shoot all of us. They have been dragging us from one police station to the other in the whole state. “You are asking if we have told the governor about it.
We cannot tell him because we know he is the one behind all this. If not, why can’t he call the warring factions and make peace? Instead, he is supporting illegality. He is the main cause of our problem. He was born and bred here. This community harboured him, but today he is biting the finger that fed him. Umuana that harboured him and his wife is the same place where he is creating problems.
“Please tell them not to build any hall for us. We are not seeking their help. They said if our youths try to stop them, they would kill our youths. But we don’t want them to kill our youths. That is why are here. We’re ready to stay here till the end of the year if that will bring peace to Umuana.”
In his contribution, Pastor Mark Okezie said the cause of the whole problem is greed and selfishness. “We are all blood brothers, you see, but these people went to the government, signed documents and collected money to betray the community even when we said acquisition of land by government should be done properly.
They must have sensed danger in their action and are coming to put back this money into the communal project but our women are saying no to them,” Okezie said. Daily Sun learnt that those arrested by the police include Chief Akobueze Mmeregini, Chairman, Friday Ufomadu and one other person simply identified as Kachi.
When contacted, Chief Sunny Nwakudu, said to be the leader of the group favourably disposed to the acquisition, said his group had secured a court order to use the money paid by government to develop the hall.
“I am the traditional Prime Minister of that community and one time President General of the whole of Ndume Community made up of two villages. Umuana is just one out of the two. For a long time, we have lacked a civic centre. Our land was acquired in 1991 and government agreed to pay N600, 000 for the economic trees alone.
“When this government came to power, we met the governor and asked him to also pay us compensation for the land and he agreed. The executives of the community met with the governor to sign an MOU and after signing, the government paid us N20.5million. But this other group that does not want the progress of the community went and stopped the cheque at the court. Then we got a court judgment that we should use the money for the development of the community hall. Then these same people brought their wives to stop us.
“I have tried to build that house many times but the Mmereginis refused. They are just like 30% of the number of people in Umuana. Their character is raw. They just don’t want the progress of the community.”
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