The people of Omogho community in Orumba North Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State have protested against destruction of their agricultural produce and other properties at the ongoing construction of aerotropolis comprising second airport and industrial park.
The protesters who hail from Iwolo, Umunaba and Ugwuoji villages in Omogho lamented that they were neither notified nor allowed to harvest their produce before over twenty two tractors invaded their four thousand hectares of lands, destroying over two thousand palm trees, one thousand rice value chain, cassava farms, yams, cocoyams and others.
The Chairman of Iwolo village, Mr Somadina Umeh, who led the protesters around the villages and construction site, alleged that since January eight, twenty twenty-six when the contractors gained undue access to their lands they had not been allowed to draw closer to the place or harvest any of their farm produce.
According to Umeh, the most painful aspect of it was that the contractors could not produce the boundary for the proposed airport but kept on marking even some of their family houses for demolition.
He pleaded with the governor to schedule a meeting with them so they could discuss the modalities for siting the project, including clarifying the ownership of the land, establishment of the boundaries and hectares needed and payment of adequate compensation to those whose agricultural produce, economic trees and others were demolished.
Also speaking, Mrs Ifeoma Esther Aroh, who posited that her farmland was affected, said she returned to prepare for the burial of her husband only to found that their house had been marked for demolition after the developers had swept off sixty chains of rice, twenty plots of yam valued chain, cassava and others valued at about Twenty five million Naira.
She said they have lost all they have, including their shelters, where to get food for their children and others, even as she wondered where they would make money as farmers to feed their children.
On his part, Mr Benjamin Nwankwo, who is the former Vice Chairman of Iwolo Village, described the situation as pathetic, noting that his customers are wondering over what had happened to him recently because his 15 plots of yams, 35 plots of cassava, 30 plots of rice and potatoes, have been destroyed by the developers, leaving him in hunger and jobless.
He said he spent the sum of N35 million in farming the crops and called on the government to find ways of compensating all the natives for their individual and collective lost..
Also speaking, Mr Uchenna Elo from Agude village, Omogho, while noting that the destruction affected five villages in the town such as Ubulu, Agueke, Umunaba, Iwolo and Isiamede, urged Soludo to find another place for those displaced by the development, as well as those who have lost their means of livelihood.
He also dismissed the claims that the land belong to Ndikelionwu and urged the governor to consider the white paper submitted to him by his predecessors as that would help me to determine the boundaries and history of the land.
A widow, Mrs Florence Uchedike, said she lost about N10 million and those she obtained loans from are after his life which was why she collapsed on hearing about the destruction of her properties by the contractor.
On his part, another victim, Mr John Obi , said he lost over twenty million Naira worth agricultural produce at the course of invasion into his farmland and urged governor Chukwuma Soludo to save them from more encroachment which according to him, could force some persons to commit suicide.