Government Compensation on Oba Airport site tears community apart

www.odogwublog.com reports that the indigenes of Aborji Village, Oba, in Idemili South local government council have called on the Anambra state government and Nigerian Police to come to their rescue from continuous harassment and intimidation from neighbours.

The chairman of the village, Chief Dozie Nweke told journalists in Oba yesterday that harassment became serious since the renewed call for compensation by Oba people on the failed airport site.
Nweke said efforts were being made to ensure that Aborji village which was among the owners of the land donated to the state government for the airport project was removed from the compensatory scheme.
He said there have been fights over the matter involving the villages which had resulted in injuries and arrests of some youths.
Nweke who is also the leader of Oba Youths Association called on Anambra state government to consider the numerous petitions over the real donors of the airport land and ensure that all were accommodated.
He regretted that the people of Oba were being divided over land issue that was supposed to unite them and sued for peaceful coexistence.
 Nweke enjoined Nigerian Police to be peacemakers in the matter and not allow vested interest to use them to intimidate and harass his people.
According to him, “Some people and some villages in Oba town have decided to cause problem among ourselves, they have decided to destroy the long standing peaceful coexistence among us because of land.
“In Igbo land, land is owned by individuals, families and quarters, community does not own it.
“Okpuno Aborji in Aboji village has part of their land in that airport land but some people are working hard to remove our name from those donated that land and ensure they did not benefit from compensation.
“We are calling on Anambra state government to know that the land of our people is involved and they should also consider every opinion on that matter to avoid working with those that want to hijack it.
“It is unfortunate that there have been fight among us, people have been wounded, others have been arrested but painfully we are living in fear because of incessant arrests and harassment from the Police.
In his reaction, , the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, of Ojoto Police division Mr. Prince Ugochukwu assured that the police was there for the protection of all.
Ugochukwu said there was nobody related to the matter that was under his custody.
He urged people with genuine complaint to report to the police.