Urum Estate Land: Nwaguatahihia Denies Land Grabbing Allegation, Insists Due Process was Followed

By Uche Eke

Real Estate mogul and owner of Nwaguatahihia Properties Ltd, High Chief Okechukwu Kingsley Chukwuemeka, has dismissed allegations of land grabbing levelled against his company by the President General of Urum.

Speaking to Journalists, following a media briefing by the town union leader, Chukwueme Insists that he bought the Ochiokwa land from the rightful owners in Urum, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

AnambraDaily reported that the President General of Urum had last week told newsmen that the property being advertised by Nwaguatahihia Properties Ltd was not sold to the developer and that the entire community agreed that the land be reserved for farming till further notice.

But the developer had brushed off the claims, asserting that the land was sold to him and was properly documented and that due process was followed in acquiring it from the owners.

He further claimed that five Indigenes of the community that own the land unanimously sold it to him with the traditional rulers of the community acting as a witness.

The real estate mogul expressed regret that the President General of Urum who was elected not long ago, was out to malign his reputation just because of his refusal to sort him out financially.

He noted that the relevant signatories and documentations to the land had been concluded while the process of getting the Certificate of Occupance will soon be successful.

Chukwuemeka expressed worry that at a time the Governor of the Anambra state was calling for people to invest in the state, few individuals were out to scuttle the process for their selfish and personal interests.

The Traditional Ruler of Urum, Igwe B. Nweke reaffirmed that the land in question belonged to some families in the community and not the entire town as insinuated .

Igwe Nweke also said it was not in order for the President General of the Community to insist that the land will not be sold by the original owners.

The monarch narrated that one part of the land was revoked under the former Governor Willie Obiano administration but it did not affect the the Ochiokwa area which was owned by some families in Urum .

Igwe Nweke confirmed that after his investigation, he confirmed that the land in question belonged to the people that sold it to Nwaguatahihia Properties for development.

Speaking on behalf of the families that sold the land, Mr Ephraim Aniebonam from Uruokpala clan, Akitinyi village, Urum confirmed that the land never belonged to the community.

Mr Aniebonam alongside other familiea wondered why the PG will go ahead to insist that the entire town now have stake on their inheritance.