Group raises alarm over ‘plot by Gov. Umahi to disposes Ebonyi landlords of their landed properties’ 

OBINNA EZUGWU

Rights group, Ebonyi Advocacy for Human Rights Initiative, has accused David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi State, of plotting to disposes landlords in the state of their landed properties through what it called an illegal and lawless process of nullifying all Certificates of Occupancy( C of O) in the state.

The group which raised the alarm in a statement by its chairman, Chief Abia Onyike, gave the governor two weeks ultimatum to reverse the “illegal Executive Order,” or it shall deploy all legitimate and legal instruments to force him to do so.

The statement said, “The latest intriguing, subterranean, dictatorial and totalitarian steps of Gov. David Umahi, aimed to disposes Ebonyi landlords of their hard earned landed properties. He is about to commit a terrible crime unless he is called to order. He is working towards the total and complete confiscation of all landed properties in the state through an illegal and lawless process of nullifying all Certificates of Occupancy( C of O) in the state.

“The Governor issued a Public Service Announcement, dated Thursday, September 2, 2021, through his Special Assistant on Lands and Survey, Emmanuel Igwe, where he stated that, ‘all Certificates of Occupancy are hereby withdrawn,’ calling on residents and landlords to go for re-certitication.

“We condemn Gov. Umahi’s lawless effrontery in this regard because we see his Executive Order as an abuse of his constitutional powers. It is an excessive and arrogant display of power and a viscious affront on the good people of Ebonyi state who elected him into office.

“The illegal exercise he wants to embark upon is a ploy to create confusion and to possibly shield himself away from his nefarious activities as an emergent land grabber who has a lot of questions to answer about the seizure of plots in the Meat Market, Old Building Materials Market and other layouts where land was recovered by the State Government. Secondly, the Governor is looking for an opportunity to victimize his political opponents, critics of his evil Government and some non-indigeneous property owners whom he has earmarked to seize their properties.

“We shall deploy all legitimate and legal instruments to force Gov. Umahi to rescind his illegal Executive Order. We give him two weeks to stand down the order or we shall drag him to Court. It is our considered opinion that a responsible Government cannot suddenly wake up to nullify the entire C of Os in the state. If there is an overriding public interest to warrant the withdrawal of any C of O, then the government should clearly and objectively state the reasons. The Governor has no power to unilaterally nullify all C of Os based on his personal whims and caprices.

“We equally condemn Gov. Umahi’s controversial handling of the #6 billion allocated to Ebonyi State in respect of the cattle ranch which Gov. Umahi was alleged to have planned to site in Nwofe area in Izzi LGA. The Governor went about these transactions very discreetly. But when the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Garba Shehu opened up on the matter and revealed that Ebonyi state had collected #6b for the project, Umahi was jolted and went into cock and bull stories bordering on denials. But the problem with Umahi is that he has no integrity to make people believe him. He has desecrated his high office. He is a perpetual liar.

“Since the whole issue of Fulani Herdsmen started with the attendant matters bordering on RUGA, South East Regional Security and Ranching, Gov. Umahi resorted to rabble rousing. He has told several lies to cover up his dubious maneuverings. He has lied against Ndigbo and Ime-Obi Ohanaeze Ndigbo, in order to curry the favour of his paymasters. He lied that there is a law in Ebonyi state on anti-open grazing.

“But he knows that no such bill has ever been presented to the House not to talk of such a law being made. Yet people are being killed and murdered all over the state and Igboland and he goes about shedding crocodile tears. As Chairman of South-East Governors Forum, Umahi told several lies about preparations for regional security until his elder brother, a retired Army Officer, Gen. Obi Umahi exposed his treachery by resigning his position as the Commander of Ebubeagu and Chairman of the South East Regional Security Advisory Board, citing the unseriousness of the South-East Governors on security issues as the reason for his exit.Now it is clear to Ndigbo that Gov. Umahi is an Igbo nemesis because of the role he plays as a self-appointed Caliphate sympathiser, based on his touted 2023 presidential aspiration.”