The Enugu State Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Dr. Victor Nnam on Friday announced his resignation from office, stating his reason as the alleged “recent removal of the heads of the department under me on punitive ground”, according to the resignation letter now widely in circulation and sighted by The Easterner.
In the letter addressed to the Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Dr. Nnam also claimed that he accepted his appointment as Commissioner for Lands, hoping to be allowed to implement global best practices in land administration, but regretted that his proposal for the establishment of the GIS (geographic information system) for land administration to enable the state put an end to land grabbing and restore investors’ confidence in land system in the state was rejected without explanation to date.
However, a Government House source, who pleaded for anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told The Easterner that the commissioner hurriedly tendered his resignation letter to avoid his impending sack, adding however that his resignation was yet to be accepted by the government.
Responding to enquires, the source replied by text message stating as follows:
“The alleged reason for the purported resignation of the Enugu State Commissioner for Lands, Dr. Victor Nnam is entirely false. The said resignation is also not true as it is yet to be accepted by the State government.
“It should be noted that the Commissioner for Lands is presently under investigation by the Enugu State House of Assembly over his illegal sale of land belonging to the State NULGE (National Union of Local Government Employees), as a result of which he was advised by his fellow professionals to step aside pending the outcome of investigations”.
The source also alleged that Dr. Nnam hurriedly submitted his resignation letter in the absence of the governor who is currently participating in the National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja along with his commissioners, members of the State House of Assembly and the State party leadership.
“The hurried submission of a resignation letter while the Governor is leading the entire State delegation at the PDP National Convention in Abuja is a desperate move to forestall a predictable end that awaits him”, the source stated further.
Continuing, the source said: “The members of NULGE need not worry as their land will be recovered from Dr. Nnam and his cohorts who will surely be brought to justice for the heinous land grabbing heist”.
The source dismissed the alleged removal of departmental heads in the ministry of lands, describing it as a routine exercise.
“His claim that heads of parastatals in the ministry were removed is also misleading as they were merely redeployed in a routine exercise”.
The government source also accused Dr. Nnam of land gabbling and fraud, vowing he would not escape justice.
“The public is also assured that all the allocations he revoked, sold or re-allocated to himself using fictitious names and fronts are already being thoroughly investigated and those affected are urged to petition the government for redress”, the source added.
