Chinedum Treasure
People of Ebenesi Community in Nnobi, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State has appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Governor Chukwuma Soludo to prevail on Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN to resolve its disagreement with the community over demolition of their ancestral homes.
The people said they have lost over six elders after their houses were marked for demolition for planned power line projects.
Chanting songs in rejection of the project and displaying placards, the community who are the major victims said the project should be made to pass underground if it must be carried on in Nnobi.
Speaking during the peaceful protest at the Obi Ezenabo Traditional Center Ebenesi, Chairman of Ebenesi community, Chief Okechukwu Oraka and his Vice, Chief Patrick Nwanyiaku said the deceased collapsed and died over pressure following the demolition order or be made to pay the cost of demolition.
According to them, the annoying part of the disagreement is that the Anambra State Physical Planning Board officials have started marking their houses for demolition to make way for electricity Power Line.
“They’re also ordering us to demolish the marked houses by ourselves or risk the board demolishing them and giving us the cost of the demolition to pay. Meanwhile, there is no arrangement for our relocation.
“We totally reject the project on the grounds that it did not initially pass through Nnobi. It has been a project conceived over 13 years ago and in the original plan there was no time Nnobi was captured or in the picture of the project.
“Nnobi came into this TCN Power Line project through fowl means, Nnobi was not captured in the original plan of that project, it was diverted to Nnobi by some people who feel that we have nobody to speak for us both in Federal and State governments,” they lamented.
The protesters, comprising youths and over twenty elderly men and women between the ages of 70 to 80 years, in tears said, “Ebenesi is highly populated and we don’t have land. Yet, government is forcing us to vacate our own ancestral home with no plan of relocation.
“We are not actually against development projects and infrastructures. We will only relocate to anywhere in this Nnobi if they provide a place for us.
“While providing such infrastructures, the people that will enjoy them must live to enjoys them. If any infrastructure is provided and the people to enjoyed it are sent into extinction, what is the need?”
Oraka continued, “I have lived oversees, Power Lines are not passed through residential areas. Besides, there was no time since over 200 years our forefathers who bequeathed this land were told not to build our houses here because of Power Line project.”
Some representatives of affected villages in Ebenesi, including Comrade Staley Izuegbu, for Ifite village, Batholomew Ojukwu for Umuafor village and Secretary of Umuona village, demanded the relocation of the project to a place where there would not be demolition of houses or the project carried underground like done overseas.
A visibly angry 81 years old retired civil servant, Mrs. Comfort Ngwudo who spoke on behalf of the elders above 80 years said, “There is nothing happening in life that is not as a result of good or bad policy.
“There is no man who own a ancestral land that didn’t get it from his forefathers except those that bought from people. How can anybody who is reasonable come to a village and tell people to relocate from their ancestral land they have lived in for over 200 years.
“Government should not come to people with oppressive policies. If government want to build anything for the people they should ensure that it is what the people need. Not what will lead to their early grave.
The community also took their protest to Awuda and Ngo, two other quarters that make up Nnobi, including Awuda, house of the traditional ruler of Nnobi, Igwe Engineer Nick Obi and Ngo, house of the President General of Nnobi Chief Sir Aloy Olubialu.
The monarch, through his Palace Secretary, Ichie Obianumba Ajayiaku and President General of Nnobi, Chief Aloy Olubialu, commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct, assuring their grievances must be addressed.
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