By Christy Anyanwu
The Vice Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Prof. Francis O. Otunta, recently declared that, one year after he assumed office, the university authorities and the host communities have been sleeping on the issue of ownership of the university land.
He noted that both parties had suddenly woken up from sleep and were now ready to discuss matters relating to the issue of the original owners and donors of the land.
The Vice Chancellor spoke when a 10-man committee representing the two host communities of the institution, Umudike and Umudike-Ukwu, set up by the Concerned Professional Indigenes of Umudike, Home and Diaspora (CPIUHD), paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Responding to the presentations by the committee, which he said were quite revealing, Otunta told members of the committee: “Prior to your courtesy call on me and the management, as many as 47 traditional rulers from different communities have come to me claiming ownership of MOUAU land. And out of this number, none mentioned Umudike, which is the name of the community where the university is located. Then I became doubtful of the claims that were coming. However, I reckon that this courtesy visit by the 10-man committee and their presentations have proven right my doubt. The clarifications by the committee have opened our eyes and we now truly know the real MOUAU land owners.”
The committee, led by a veteran journalist, Leo Chigbo Adieze, of the old Daily Times, had, during the courtesy call, made presentations titled ‘Umudike Autonomous Communities – Issues and concerns.” The presentations, which were read by a prominent member of the committee, Dr. Moses C. Nwosu, head, Department of Library and Information Science, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, dwelled on two basic issues, ownership of MOUAU land and recognition of the traditional rulers of the varsity’s host communities.
The committee told the Vice Chancellor that the issue of the ownership of the land had become contentious due to the utterances, presentations and conduct of some traditional rulers in the neighbourhood, adding that the authentic claim of ownership of the land on which MOUAU was established by the Umudike communities. It also promised to forward to the Vice Chancellor in due course a number of vital and sensitive community documents relating to land acquisition and payments of compensation to Umudike communities for MOUAU land to back up their claim.
While calling for the recognition of the traditional rulers of the community, the committee made it clear to the Vice Chancellor that Eze Peter Joseph Anyaegbu of Umudike Autonomous Community and Eze Ben Ogechi Oriaku of Umudike-Ukwu Autonomous community were registered members of Abia State Council of Traditional Rulers, adding that all government establishments in the community, including MOUAU, should recognise and accord them due respect. The committee said the monarchs must be granted due rights and privileges as traditional rulers and custodians of culture in Umudike.
In its closing remarks, the committee, which described the Umudike autonomous communities as peace-loving, said a high risk of friction or inter-community rivalry on the issue of ownership of MOUAU land might be looming. That, the committee noted, might be a source of distraction that would frustrate the VC’s peace-building initiatives and efforts at inspiring greater staff and student output.
Summing up the presentations, the committee expressed concern on the genuine commitment of their ancestors to national development, which found expression in their donation of a large expanse of land for the establishment of federal agricultural institutions in the environment they solely depended on for survival.
The Vice Chancellor thanked the committee for the brilliant presentations and promised to work with them to build the necessary synergy and better understanding with the host communities in order to make the university environment and that of its host communities a peaceful habitat for the benefit of all.
Other members of the committee were Sir Emmanuel N. Ofor, a permanent secretary in the Ogun State Civil Service; Prof. Boniface C. Okoro, head, Department of Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO); Mrs. Rosemary Okonkwo, a seasoned banker; Chief Eugene N. Obasi, retired school headmaster, and Mr. Chukwudi Nkwa, a Lagos-based businessman.
Two of the committee members that represented Umudike indigenes in the Diaspora were Mr. Andy O. Ofor, Lloyds Banking Group, London, and Dr. Richard Ochiobi, a UK-based petroleum engineering consultant.