Centenary City: Don’t Get Involved, Community Warns Housing Corporation

The Obeagu Awkunanaw community of Enugu South Local Government Area, Enugu State, has written to the Enugu Housing Development Corporation to stay off controversies at the Enugu Centenary City.

In a letter dated November 13, and addressed to Mr Gerald Asogwa, General Manager of the Housing Corporation, the people of Obeagu, owners of the land, listed on going litigations on the land and advised the Corporation not to get embroiled in the raging controversy.

In the letter signed by the Chief Andy C. Egbo, President General, HRH Igwe Mike A Nnukwu, traditional ruler and eight other community leaders, the Obeagu Community re-echoed that they are “owners by inheritance of parcels of land known as Agbana, Ugwuorie, Onu Nsusu, Akparata, Isi Oke, Ofia Ogonogo, Ofia Aruga, Ururo, Orji, Ngene Uchoo, Ngene Ogwe, Iduru, and Ihu Odeje, among others.

“We have maintained undisturbed and uninterrupted possession until the unfortunate invasion by the owners of Private Estate International (WA) Ltd (PEIWA), came to dispossess us of the lands.

“That in order to actualize their objective, they procured a ‘survey plan’ purported to have been registered in 1985, which dishonestly increased the size of land initially proposed by the administration of our son, Dr. Jim Nwobodo, then governor of old Anambra State for the state university, from 318,560 to 1,097.128 Hectares.

“We as a community have suffered and have continued to suffer from the vagaries of modern development and have, willy-nilly, continued to make sacrifices to successive governments of our great state for genuine developmental projects.

“However, our resistance to the Centenary City is that it is a subterfuge designed by persons in pursuit of personal interests, not for any overriding developmental initiative. Or how can we accept the fact that the ‘development’ to be brought by Centenary City is to plot our lands, advertise them and eventually sell them and make huge profits while we wallow in pain and sorrow.

“That as law abiding citizens, we must submit to the jurisdictions of the various Courts currently presiding over the cases either filed by PEIWA or by Obeagu community and await their decisions, the cases are: Suit Nos.E/1081/2019: Private Estate International Limited v. The Executive Governor of Enugu State, AG, Enugu State, Commissioner for Lands & Urban Development, Enugu State AND H.R.H. Igwe Mike Nnukwu & 5 Ors; E/263/2020: Private Esatates International WA Ltd v. Hon. Paul Okechukwu Ogbe & Ors, etc.

“We have taken the pain to provide you with this seeming lengthy narratives just to alert you to the looming danger associated or likely to be associated with the allure or attraction of acquiring any part of the so called Centenary City land because it is encumbered and currently under litigation.

“Should you ignore our advice, you do so at your own peril because you acquire any such land subject to the outcome of the ongoing litigations. We advise you to resist the temptation to get embroiled in this case, as that is the best and safest thing to do in the circumstance.

“We must also express how appalled we were to observe the presence of staff of your agency who came to our community, and without reference to the leadership, were seen measuring our land gleefully and with impunity.

“We must express our resentment to such provocative invasion by the officials, and we advise that you desist and cease further actions for all the reasons we have adduced above. We hope you will find this letter useful, and be guided by all the admonitions herein conveyed.”