By Ozichukwu Chukwu
In this article, Ozichukwu Chukwu makes a weighty revelation on the ordeals the people of the host communities of Centenary City, Enugu are passing through in the hands of blackmailers and mischievous estate developers led by one Kingsley Eze…
Dear all, good evening.
I have visited Enugu and gone to the Centenery CITY, Enugu.
I had the opportunity to listen to the villagers, their passion for development, their expectations and the attendant ordeal and agony they are going through. They all seem to be in pains without exception. It’s a serious dilemma for everyone of us. I think that there’s dibilitating communication gap and the Court process will worsen the situation for PEIWA. The Communities are ready to die instead of allowing the Centenary City development continue under the present arrangement with PEIWA. Unfortunately, the Governor instead of being praised for his timely intervention to stop the people from resorting to self help, and thereby avert the conflagration of violence is being blackmailed along with his energetic and dynamic Commissioner for Lands.
Governor Ugwuanyi unlike many, see governance as public trust that demands humility, probity, accountability and transparency. He has embraced governance with missionary zeal and angelic uprightness. These no doubt, are the testaments to quintessential leadership. His Hon Commissioner of Lands is a world Class academic, a young man of means and consequence, who holds his life in the palm of his hands, not willing to sacrifice it in a spirit of weariness or bravado but always ready to lay it down if duty demands. I think that we owe it as our duty to put things in proper perspectives.
For now no compensation has been paid to the land owners, no income has accrued to the State, but PEIWA it is alleged has collected about N2bn using the community land as collateral and also gone ahead to parcelate and sale the property to unsuspecting public.
There’s need for serious negotiations between PEIWA, the State government and the communities. Blackmail will be counterproductive and confrontations will blow an ill wind.
The people are not averse to development but they insist that the Developers do Right Things Right. The Governor, I believe is willing, able and ready to leave Enugu State and people much better than he met them. It’s incumbent on all of us therefore to give them unreserved support and wholesome encouragement.
Incidentally HE Sen Jim Nwobodo and the former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani among others come from the affected Communities. I was able to speak with HE Sen Jim Nwobodo and other opinion leaders and role models from the Communities.
The situation has to be handled maturely, with empathy and human face in order not to put Igbo leaders into another circle of ridicule or public odium.
Ozichukwu Chukwu
