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Members of various socio-cultural groups in Owerri zone as well as sons and daughters of the zone under the aegis of Coalition for Owerri Reawakening on Saturday expressed concern over the killings of young men since the administration of Governor, Hope Uzodinma in Imo State.
The group in a summit attended by elders, academia, captains of industry, businessmen and women, professional bodies, among others where they raised eyes brows over worsening economic, social, and political conditions facing the people of the zone, queried why young people were being killed across the state.
The summit was chaired by Maj. Gen. Collins R.U Ihekire.
They called on the government of Imo State to begin a healing process by halting the trend and reaching out to families of the victims.
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The group, while appreciating that the status of a state capital comes at a cost, noted with dismay that there seems to be a deliberate policy to render Owerri people homeless by the wanton grabbing of lands by successive administrations since 1976, which reached a crescendo between 2011 and 2019 and has also reared its ugly head in Uzodinma’s administration.
They said, ‘Most worrisome is the fact that most lands taken from Owerri people under the abuse of the Land Use Act for overriding public interest are later converted to private use.”
According to them, said till date, nothing concrete has been done to rebuild the Ekeukwu Owerri ancestral market or compensate those who lost their loved ones and goods worth billions of naira to the illegal demolition of the market.
The summit appreciated the people of Orlu and Okigwe zones for “harkening to our cry by massively electing an Owerri son as Governor of the state in 2019 but notes that the unfortunate Supreme Court judgment of 14th January has worsened the situation on the political equation in the state”.
It commended Hon. Emeka Ihedioha for making Owerri’s zone and indeed, Imo people proud during his seven months stay in office by addressing the myriads of administrative and infrastructural challenges head on, assuring him that history will not forget him.
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