The Umuzocha community in Awka South Local Government Area, which owns the largest portion of Anambra State capital territory, on Thursday, rose against alleged improper acquisition of their land by the state government.
While addressing newsmen after a peaceful demonstration at its village hall, the community criticised the way successive governments in the state dispossessed it of its land under the guise of overriding public interest.
Insisting that they were shabbily treated by the state government on land matters, the community explained that in most cases, government and its agencies would dispossess them of their lands and assign such lands to private persons for commercial purposes.
In a statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Messrs Chris Ndibe and Emeka Chukwu respectively, the community warned that it would no longer tolerate such maltreatment.
“We can’t be pushed to the wall and government should expect us to continue to keep quiet. We wish to use this opportunity to state without fear of contradiction that our village, Umuzocha, has sacrificed more than any of the other 33 villages in Awka since the new Anambra State was created and beyond.
“However, attempts to get the reaction of the state Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Urban Planning, Mrs. Stella Onuorah, did not yield any result as several calls to her mobile phone went unanswered.(Punch)
