Women from Ishinkwo Autonomous Community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, in the early hours of Monday, staged a peaceful protest over the demarcation of the disputed land between their community and the neighbouring Abaomege community.
Our correspondent recalls that the state government in order to end the intractable land dispute between Ishinkwo and Abaomege communities in Onicha Local Government Area, commenced the demarcation of the disputed land as approved in a government white paper.
The protesting women stormed the Government House, Abakaliki, in large numbers, to register their displeasure over the demarcation, which they described as flawed.
The protesters carried placards bearing different inscriptions, like: “Governor Nwifuru, father of the state, please, come to our aid,” ‘Where is the map attached to the white paper?” “Enough is enough to land grabbing, follow the white paper,” “Ekeroku, stop taking sides and be neutral,” ‘Return Ugwuekuma Primary School to Ishinkwo, it’s our ancient landmark,” and “Return Uda Iyiocha to Ishinkwo, it’s our land,” amongst others.
The women who also marched to the state House of Assembly complex, accused the Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogboffia, of allegedly colluding with the land demarcation committee, to grab Ishinkwo land for his Abaomege Community.
In an open letter addressed to Governor Francis Nwifuru, signed by National President, Women Wing of Ishinkwo Community Development Union, Mrs. Fidelia Nworie and 12 others, the women alleged that the ongoing demarcation exercise is fundamentally flawed, skewed, and capable of breaching the peace -building efforts of the state government.
They accused the deputy Surveyor General of the state, Mr. Ekeroku of executing the demarcation exercise without reference to the white paper, which is the legal basis of the exercise.
“The demarcation is being executed without reference to the White Paper, the legal basis of the exercise. Which renders the exercise illegal, null, and void, as no one can place something on nothing and expect it to stand.
“The survey map which is a critical component of the White Paper, has also been disregarded by the Deputy Surveyor-General of the state, Mr. Ekeroku.
“Despite all our entreaties, Mr. Ekeroku has blatantly refused to make the map available to guide the demarcation, choosing instead to rely on intuition.
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“If Mr. Ekeroku decided to hide the map from both communities, we would not have bothered much. However, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia, Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area, an Abaomege native, is indisputably in possession of the said map.
“But, not even our traditional ruler has the document! If this is not partiality, we wonder what is.
“The six swamplands in dispute are captured in the White Paper with their names mentioned therein.
“However, the demarcation has been extended to our uplands, ancient buildings, ancient landmarks, and old primary schools, all of which have been fraudulently ceded to Abaomege by Ekeroku in conspiracy, and active connivance with the Onicha Local Government Chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia.
“The Onicha Local Government Chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia, occasionally goes to the site to arbitrarily decree the boundary locations.
“It was on one such occasion that he and Mr. Ekeroku drove into our interior and marked our old primary school and the military checkpoint we built with our community resources in our Efiom Village for allocation to his Abaomege community.
“We appreciate Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia’s gospel of peace, but we would like to remind him that our community has remained cut -off from the national grid by his Abaomege Community for years now. Where then is the peace, he preaches?” the protesting women asked.
The aggrieved women demanded that the survey map as captured by the White Paper, be produced for both communities to eliminate doubts about the demarcation, and to enable them to monitor compliance.
According to them, the actions of Mr. Ekeroku and Mr. Ogbofia, have not only undermined the peace process, but have also created an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion.
They appealed to Gov. Nwifuru to intervene to reinvigorate the peace -building process.
