The Imo State House of Assembly has directed the commissioner for industry, mines and solid minerals to initiate steps to eject the illegal occupants of the lands allocated to the ministry at Umuezuo Naze Industrial Layout.

The directive formed part of the resolutions of the house, following a motion moved by Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West constituency) and seconded by Kelechi Ofurum (Owerri North constituency) during Tuesday’s plenary.

Presenting the motion, Mr Ezerioha said that the present administration had deeply invested in the recovery of all lands and property belonging to the state through different agencies and ministries.

He further said that the lands at the layout were acquired in 1986 by the ministry of industry and commerce during the administration of former governor Sam Mbakwe, strictly for industrialisation.

Mr Ezerioha said that the Umuezuo Community in Naze, Owerri North LGA, where the industrial layout is sited, had illegally acquired and built personal houses in the entire hectares of land.

He further alleged that the community also sold part of the lands to individuals for residential buildings, farms, and filling stations without the consent of the ministry or state government.

He, therefore, urged the house to direct the commissioner for industry, mines and solid minerals to take steps to evict all the illegal occupants in the layout.

Supporting the motion, the Chief Whip, Chigozie Nwaneri (Oru East constituency), said that though people had taken possession of the lands illegally, they should be evicted without the use of force.

According to Mr Nwaneri, this is to avoid harming people unnecessarily.

He said that the occupants might have purchased the land without knowing the state government owned it.

Contributing, Chisom Ojukwu (Nkwerre constituency) said that land grabbing and conversion of government property were depriving the people of shared resources, negating the principle of the rule of law.

He described the illegal acquisition of government property as a serious crime and stressed the need for immediate action.

He also urged other ministries to take stock of what should be under their ministry to be sure that no government property under their jurisdiction had been repossessed illegally.

Also supporting the motion, Clinton Amadi (Owerri Municipal constituency) said that the reacquisition “must be total and not limited to just the property at Naze.”

Mr Amadi said that the reclaiming of the lands must be conducted with empathy, adding that the lands might have been acquired in error.

Following unanimous votes in favour of the motion, the Speaker, Chike Olemgbe, ruled in favour of the motion and directed the clerk to convey the resolutions to the ministry. 

(NAN)