ANAMBRA COMMISSIONER COLLECTS N7,000 BEFORE SUBMISSION OF LETTER TO HIS OFFICE

…DEMOLISHES INNOCENT PASTOR HOUSE AND SIEZE HIS LAND


Fejiro Oliver

The Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Mr. Okoli Akirika, in Anambra State has been accused of using his office to commit unethical blunders in the ministry alongside some of his staff. In a petition written to the Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi which was obtained by Elombah.com, a group known as Intersociety detailed how the commissioner directed his office to collect a compulsory sum of Seven Thousand Naira (N7,000) from the organization before their letter written to him could be collected and deemed received.

According to the group, they had gone to the Commissioner’s office to submit a letter of complaint against his office when they were bluntly told that it was a policy and strict directive from the Commissioner to take N7,000 before they can be attended to. All their entreaties and explanation that the letter was not for job application, nor application for land allocation proved abortive. We gathered that the Commissioner noted that even if the letter was sent by courier without the money paid for; it won’t be attended to.

Written in the petition to the State governor we were reliably informed that one of the Commissioner’s ally, Ms Oby Inoma has demolished the house of one Pastor Sylvester Agu and snatched the land from him to allocate to her crony. This is done with the aid of a thug, Amaechi Inoma, who comes from the same family with her. Despite the pastor’s land being approved by the former Commissioner, Mr Peter Afuba, which is currently awaiting the governor’s assent, we gathered that Inoma is currently making efforts to stall it, so as to pave way for her paymasters.

Another crony of the Land Commissioner, Mr Aneto Christian Chuba is noted to have said “the poor do not own land in G.R.A. ( government reserved area)” and “no matter what you do the heavy weights can take over your land at will if you don’t have money”. The petitioners also alleged that Amaechi Inoma and his thugs has continued to unleash his unrestrained terror on the Pastor and his family. On the 26th of December, 2013, at about7.00am, Amaechi Inoma led three other thugs to the demolished house of Pastor Sylvester Agu and his family members, which most parts are now rubbles and after taunting and harassing them, he told them that it will be to their best interest to leave the place as they (Amaechi & co) have concluded an arrangement to storm the place in a few days time with dozens of policemen to “clear” them from the place. 

They thereafter called on the governor to issue a query to the Commissioner for Lands & Urban Development, Barrister Okoli Akirika over the obnoxious policy of extorting money from citizens and citizen-corporate like Intersociety letters of socio-public interest are delivered to him or his Ministry, even when such letters are of public interest issue geared towards enhancing addressing the issues of justice, peace and security in the State. Direct, also, that the said unpopular policy should be abolished with immediate effect.

They also demanded that he should review all the high profile activities carried out by the said Commissioner for Lands & Urban Development since he became the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry. These include all land/plot allocations and revocations as well as the issue under reference (Pastor Sylvester Agu’s dwelling house demolition and its certificate of occupancy procession saga). This is to ascertain their genuineness or the otherwise and if he is found wanting in all or any of them, then he should be relieved of his duty and made to face the music of the law. The Commissioner’s conducts as complained suggest that he may not diligently and impartially handle the main issue under reference. As a matter of fact, we suspect strongly a foul play in the whole saga from the desk of the Commissioner.

The roles of Ms. Oby Inoma and her likes in the Ministry should be thoroughly investigated and any person found culpable of subverting due process or involved in any criminal or administrative sabotage should be adequately sanctioned. Sanity and discipline must be restored in the Ministry. Both Amaechi and Oby Inoma and their cohorts are strongly believed to be working for one Best Aluminum to render Pastor Sylvester Agu and members of his family homeless and forcefully and maliciously take over their property on Magazine Avenue, Onitsha GRA, Onitsha.

All efforts made to get across to the Commissioner proved abortive as at the time of filing in this report.