From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
Residents of Achalla community in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State have appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene in their land dispute with Urum community.
They said that the governor’s urgent intervention would be very helpful in resolving the matter peacefully, especially as tension has started rising gradually over the matter.
The people made the appeal when they besiege the Government House in Awka to protest the “awarding of the contentious land” to Urum which is also in the same LGA.
Leader of the protesting group, Mr Calistus Nnakwue, while addressing journalists, said that a peace committee set up by the chairman of the LGA sat severally over the matter, but never invited any member of their community to the meeting before eventually awarding the disputed land to their neighbour.
Nnakwue, secretary general of Achalla Improvement Union, said that his people were not pleased about that development.
“We are here to call the attention of the governor over the awarding of the land to Urum community even without hearing from our representatives. The land in question belongs to us, and we are calling on Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to set up a new committee to preside over the matter and give unbiased verdict”, he said.
The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions which read: ‘We need a new and impartial and unbiased panel’, ‘we were not taken into consideration by the panel, and our report was not taken’, ‘a responsible panel cannot do land border demarcation without the consent of the affected communities’.