▪️Claims government appointee unleashing thugs on his tenant to force them out of his property
Rots in Enugu Ministry of Lands
The oppression being meted out to some people in Enugu State especially the vulnerable, by some alleged government appointees is not abating as they now use thugs to further maltreat the people.
One of the latest ordeals in this regard is expressed by an indigene of Ihe in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Mr. Jerry Nwamaka, who has made a passionate appeal to the Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to intervene and rescue him from the brigandage being visited on him by an alleged appointee of the Governor, Barr Uche Agu who is employing the services of hoodlums and bandits to forcefully drive away his tenant in order to take over his plot of land (plot number 457) with already developed 2 bedroom bungalow, he built in 2014 as directed by then Government of Enugu State, located at Independence Layout Phase 2.
According to Nwamaka, Barr Uche Agu claimed that it was the Enugu State Commissioner for Lands, Surveyor Victor Nnam that resold the land to him, and as an SSA to Oga (the governor), there was nothing anyone could do about it.
power of attorney in favour of Nwamaka
Nwamaka said his tenant, Mr. Uchenna Igwe and family have been traumatized as a result of Uche Agu’s engagement of the services of persons suspected to be thugs to harass and intimidate them on September 23, 2021. He also said another person suspected to be a hoodlum known as Omo has been on a constant traumatization of Mr. Uchenna and family, having ransacked, destroyed and thrown their belongings out of my house on said plot of land where they live.
He provided our correspondent with some title documents in his name as proof of his ownership of the plot of land in question.
Mr. Jerry who is pleading with governor Ugwuanyi to intervene with a view to restoring his hope and that of his family, said the governor was his last hope.
Excerpts of the SOS which Nwamaka sent to governor Ugwuanyi read “My name is Mr. Jerry Nwamaka, a native of Ihe, Awgu and a bona-fide citizen of Enugu State.
“I am one of those who admire your leadership style, your ability to reach out and you calm demeanour even when you are a workerholic (sic). You are a God’s special gift to our State, Enugu.
“I would like to brief you on the issue I’m having with your Commissioner for Lands, Hon. Victor Nnam, and one Barr Uche Agu who claims to be your SSA on transportation.
“I bought a plot of land (plot 457) at ind layout phase 2, perfected all the documents, and went ahead to build a 2 bedroom bungalow there in 2014 as requested by the government then.
“To my utmost surprise , Uche Agu came into the land a few months ago and claimed that the Hon. Commissioner for lands (Victor Nnam) sold the land to him. He Uche Agu went ahead to get a special report from the commissioner which he tendered to state cid to arrest and detain me.
“In spite of all the plea from me and my family for him (Uche Agu) to go back to the commissioner to get a fresh undeveloped plot from the commissioner, he went ahead with some unknown persons on 23rd Sept, 2021 to harras and intimidate the occuoant and his family.
“Space will not permit me to write all that happend between us but I am pleading that you use good offices, you great leadership styles and intervene in this matter. (sic) I know you are a listening governor.”
Recently in a news report titled “Scam in Enugu Ministry of Lands exposed as ex LG Chairman narrates ordeal” an online news medium x-rayed the shabby treatment of a former Council Chairman in Enugu State and a current appointee of government of the state.
Writing on “The rot in Enugu Ministry of Lands has been exposed”, the news platform says that: “One of the victims of the sharp practices involving top personnel and former Chairman of Ezeagu LGA narrated his experience.
Speaking to newsmen, the former LG Chairman said he was pushed to address the press conference to tell the world and the governor “whom I am serving what is happening in the Ministry of Lands.
tenant’s property allegedly thrown outside by Barr Uche’s thugs
“I have done my best not to go public but I think that is the only way the governor will know what is happening in the ministry of lands. He is not a spirit, there is no way I can blame the governor over what is happening in the ministry of land. Somebody is responsible and someone should be held responsible.
“…Since I assumed ownership of that land, any day I apply for the process of my documents, it will disappear in the Ministry.
“When I wait for a while I won’t hear anything. When I go to commissioner he will tell me that he didn’t see my documents. I will apply again and the same application will go missing.
” I didn’t suspect anything because I had already developed the land and nobody was disturbing me.
“After my tenure as chairman, I decided to follow up and I applied again for processing of my certificate of occupancy, but it got missing again. I went back to see the commissioner myself and after explaining the whole matter to him, he searched for the application and said he didn’t see it.
“He asked me to bring my acknowledgement copy which I did and he minuted on the photocopy and they started looking for my file. At the end they said they didn’t see my file.
“I went to the bank and paid money and applied for search. Behold, they wanted to withhold the search, but for the intervention of someone in the ministry.
“Finally they gave me the report of the search and behold my land which I developed in 2009 had been allotted to someone else with C-of-O, in 2014. I looked at the search and went back to the commissioner and complained through a very senior person in government.
“The commissioner instructed me to write a petition over what transpired on the land and I did. I wrote the petition on May 26 2021 and up till today the commissioner for lands has not called me to come for the petition.
tenant’s property allegedly thrown outside by Barr Uche’s thugs
”I went to the commissioner’s office, behold the same petition got missing again and he asked me to go and bring my acknowledgement copy. I brought it and he minuted on it. I pleaded with him that I have had several issues of missing documents in this ministry.
“He gave the petition to his PA and we went together to the Director of Lands, Ngwu Chinyere, and told her that the commissioner said she should investigate the matter and get back to him in the shortest possible time.
“I went to her office the next day and she directed me to one Ifeoma whom she said will look into the matter.
“Ifeoma said I should come back in two days time.
“When I returned, she said I should take her to the site and I took her and showed her my property and she saw all the development in my property. She asked if I was the one that that did all that and I said yes. She then said that I should give her time to do her report, I accepted.
“When I came back she told me she had sent her report to the Director.
” I told her that I wasn’t comfortable with that as she has not concluded her investigations.
‘I told her that already the search I’m having shows that another person is in my property with a C of O, that I expected her to invite both of us and ask questions.
“I told her that she couldn’t have concluded her report without inviting both of us. But she told me that she had given the file to her director that I should go and see the director.
“The director told me that someone already has a C-of-O on the land. I asked her what that meant and she looked at my profile and said that my file is fake.
”I asked her what she was up to and vowed that the governor who all of us are serving will hear this.
”I told her the she must explain and prove how the fake file got to her table and who faked it.
“I decided to go public not to ridicule the government I am serving but to put our dear governor on notice.
‘I tried my best to meet with the commissioner, I called him severally but wouldn’tbl take my calls. I sent him several text messages but he didn’t respond.
“I reasoned that if this could happen to me a serving person under this administration, then other people who don’t have the opportunity would be going through hell.
“My take is that the governor should look into this matter and get the ministry of land sanitized because I know he is a very peaceful man with a mind of an eagle that wouldn’t want to stain himself in this racketing in the ministry of land.
“Somebody had pointed accusing fingers at the Director, but I didn’t want to believe it. But for her to say that my file is fake, I am beginning to be convinced that whatever happens to my land, she is aware of it.”
