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A contentious battle is emerging from Umuahia North, Abia State, where landlords in Alaoji Ogbodudu, Umuana Ndume Ibeku, are fighting to save their properties from the wrecking ball, as the Umuahia Capital Development Agency (UCDA) seeks to demolish them, citing development goals.
The landlords at the center of the controversy are decrying the Umuahia Capital Development Agency’s (UCDA) alleged disregard for the law, asserting that the demolition of their properties without a court order is a brazen display of power that leaves them no choice but to fight for their rights.
Mr. Otuu Iwela, one of the affected landlords, has come forward to assert that he and his fellow property owners had obtained the necessary government approvals and followed due process in acquiring their lands, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the Umuahia Capital Development Agency’s (UCDA) demolition actions.
Mr. Otuu Iwela has condemned the UCDA’s actions as a brazen violation of their rights, and is now imploring Governor Alex Otti to step in and resolve the crisis, seeking protection for the affected property owners and a halt to further demolitions.
Another landlord, Mr Cyril Ogbu, explained that the allocation papers for the land were duly obtained from the Ministry of lands, and wondered what informed the action of UCDA.
He lamented the predicaments of the property owners over the demolition, and begged the Governor to call the agency to order.
” I’m yet to understand the reason for forcefully evicting me from my house which I obtained legally.”, he yelled.
“We bought the land with allocation papers. Before we started building, we went to Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UDCA) to register our buildings.
” They have brought down many fences, and gates including those of empty lands.”
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When contacted however, the General Manager, UCDA, Kingsley Agomuo, said that the complainants were trespassers who encroached into public land.
He said the land in question belongs to Government College Umuahia, adding that Government is only recovering the land for the school .
According to Mr. Iwela, a Government directive has decreed that all the structures razed by the UCDA will be confiscated and handed over to the school, a development that has sparked widespread outrage among the embattled property owners.
The head of the Umuahia Capital Development Agency (UCDA) defended the agency’s actions, stating that they were merely executing a directive from the State Government to reclaim lands unlawfully obtained by individuals and return them to their rightful owners, the public schools.
He regretted that lands belonging to over 170 public schools had been encroached into by private individuals with connivance of some compromised Government officials during the previous administration.
The UCDA boss announced that the current administration has made a firm commitment to reclaiming all public lands that were illegally appropriated by individuals, aiming to correct past injustices and ensure accountability.
