Enugu Community Urges Caution over Move to Acquire 7,221 Hectares of Land

Ndubuisi Francis in Abuja

Stakeholders of the Nimbo community in Uzo Uwani Local Government of Enugu State have called for caution, transparency, and inclusivity in every process leading to the proposed acquisition of 7,221 hectares of their farmland by Fung Tai Engineering Limited through the state government.

In a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary, Concerned Nimbo Stakeholders, Ambrose Okey, and Okey Enechi respectively, the group said the general meeting of February 3, 2025, demonstrated Nimbo’s tradition of consultation, dialogue, and peaceful resolution of issues.

According to the statement, stakeholders of the community welcomed the resolutions reached at the Nimbo general meeting held on February 3, 2025, regarding the proposed acquisition of 7,221 hectares of farmland by Fung Tai Engineering Limited through the state government.

The Enugu State Government and Fung Tai Engineering Limited were said to have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), for the production of cash crops on 7,221 hectares of agricultural land at Ugwuijoro, Nimbo in line with Governor Peter Mbah’s vision to ramp up agriculture and agro-industrialisation, boost security, and create employment.

According to the statement, the announcement did not go down well with the community who believed they were not carried along in the process leading to the said MoU between the government and the company.

They, therefore, demanded a copy of the MoU, which prompted a series of meetings with representatives of the state government to find a peaceful handling of the issue.

They said they aligned themselves with the remarks made by Eze Nimbo, Igwe John Akor (Agaba Idu), during a meeting on January 31, 2025, emphasising that land ownership in Nimbo resides with individual families, clans, and villages, not the community collectively.

They implored the promoters of the acquisition to transparently engage with the actual landowners to avoid future inter-communal conflict or any form of tribal war.

They also called for caution, transparency, and inclusivity in all the processes leading to the said land acquisition.

The stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to participating in discussions that will advance Nimbo and prevent future intra-community crises.

“We are particularly happy with the resolutions that the community must have access to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) executed by the state government with Fung Tai Engineering Limited, and that the existing aerial survey map should be discarded in favour of a traditional land survey map,” the statement quoted the stakeholders as saying.

They emphasised that access to the MoU would enable the community to understand the state’s agreements and prepare for key agreements with the company, adding that conducting a traditional land survey will allow for clear delineation of the proposed project area, establishing land ownership, and setting boundaries.

This, they said, will prevent intra-community crises.

They also expressed concern about reports of threats and intimidation, directed at members of the community with divergent views on the proposed acquisition, and explained the importance of encouraging open dialogue and addressing the concerns of all stakeholders.