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| Photo credit: Vanguard np |
Residents of Ihitte Okwe in Ngor Okpala Local Government protested the alleged establishment of farming settlement suspected to be for RUGA operations in their community.
The visibly angry men, women, aged, the physically challenged and youths, of Ihitte Okwe community, stormed Umuneke, the council headquarters to protest the alleged illegal RUGA settlement established in their ancestral land.
The protesters, handed a letter tagged: ‘Save Our Souls’ to Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha through the Chairman, Interim Management Committee, Charles Abara, with an appeal that the government shuts down the grazing settlement.
The letter was signed by 123 members of the community, including its traditional ruler, Eze B.A Obirieze, Town Union president, Mr. Francis Nkwo, Women Leader, Mrs. Sochima Nkwocha, and Youth Leader, Mr. Peter Nkwocha.In the letter, the community said it was opposed to the establishment of a RUGA settlement in line with the stance of governors of the South East region and the Igbo people.
The letter said the one-week illegal operation of the settlement, had wreaked havoc on the community as their farmlands which are their major sources of survival have been wantonly and mindlessly destroyed, amid threats of violence and rape of women on their farms.
The community condemned the operator of the settlement for deceptively using the front of wanting to establish a fuelling station to buy their land, only to suddenly convert the land into a cattle ranch which they argued will ultimately lead to the establishment of herdsmen colony in the land.
According to the letter, the Memorandum of Association and Certificate of Incorporation issued to Mr. Anuforo business, Away Lawman Global Resources Limited, and dated December 28, 2017, did not permit it to establish a ranching business anywhere in the country, including Ihitte Okwe, pointing out his contravention of this permit is an illegality that should be squarely addressed.
Mike Nkwocha, member representing Ngor, Umukabia, Ihitte Okwe Ward Seven, in the Interim Management Committee, told the protesters that the Governor Ihedioha would not toy with the security of lives and property of people, and he assured that their demand will be quickly addressed.
The representative of IMC Chairman, Mr. Okechukwu Azuonwu, lauded the peaceful way the community carried out the protest.
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