Land Grabbing Multiple Taxations: Ndị-Igbo community in Rivers Holds Town Haul Meeting.
From Chukwudi Ejimofor, Port Harcourt.
THE President-General of Ndigbo Community in Rivers State, Chief Emmanuel Anya, has called for unity, love In the face of intimidation and high level oppression the none Indigene especially Ndị-Igbo in Rivers, the Ndị-Igbo community in Rivers state organize Town Hall meeting to articulate way forward to in tackling the ugly trend.
The town hall meeting with the theme “One Igbo, One Voice and One future,” held over the weekend at the Nkpologwu Unity Hall, Rukpakulusi, along East West Road Port Harcourt was well attended by the member.
It was brain storming event as member contributed for a way forward towards the challenges facing Ndị-Igbo in Rivers. Prominent amongst the challenges are issues of land grabbing and multiple taxations
Today we decided to gather all our Igbo brothers from the five Eastern states so we could have this interaction to know how they are fairing and also to know from them the different concerns they have as Ndi-Igbo here in Rivers state, and they say things as challenges; those who are facing land grabbing, those whose has been oppressed, those with different challenges so that we will be able to package and communicate to the state government.
On their articulation on how tackle the enumerated by their members he said;
“We will begin to respond to each and every of the challenges, those we need to escalate to the government, we do that and those we need to visit, we do that because we need to investigate and be sure of what we are doing. When we do all all of this, we shall be able to give a solution; we have our Igbo Lawyer’s forum. We go to upper chanel to be able to address them”.
“We have engaged in empowerment programme to our people overtimes this is not the first time we have done a lot widows we have done to students, youths and we continue to do more because the Igbo community is self sustain; we come together and we contribute and help ourselves. What we are encouraging Ndi-Igbo let’s continue to help each other.”
On the multiple platforms of Ndị-Igbo community in Rivers state, Chief Anya said “We are working on a platform to unite all Igbo Communities in Rivers. We have visit all our Igbo brothers that are having concerns or aggrieved, what’s important now is not who you like or who you doesn’t like, it’s about Ndi-Igbo coming together and know what we stand to again as collective voice. As the president general am ready to visit any group hear them and see how we can collaborate. Ndi-Igbo coming together we help to solve a lot of things”
Addressing Newsmen also, His Imperial Majesty Eze Sir. Engr. Samm Nwaokolo Eze Ndi-Igbo Gburugburu Rivers and Bayelsa state opined that “The Igbo community in Rivers state had a town haul meeting to interact to our people, to feel their purse and to talk about their wellbeing.
You could see all the complaints our people are bringing, they are issues happening in Rivers state, especially that of land grabbing and multiple taxations. Today we looked at it and also set up a committee that will look into them. And we are working in relationship with the security agencies as well the Rivers state Governor to make sure the issue is arrested. Because of all these, people are being scared to invest in Rivers state, and is not going to help wide spreading of development fast in the state. With the help of the government these things will be corrected.
We are going to talk with the local chairmen, we are going to talk with the leadership of security agencies in Rivers state. We are also going to interface with our people; that whatever you are doing, do it diligent and leave the rest for us. I will always stand by my governor who always stand by me to listen to the cry of my people”.
Dr. Mrs. Constance Ngozi Amaechi Onyerimma, the woman leader Ndi-Igbo community in Rivers state.
Ndi-Igbo community in Rivers state had a Town Haul Meeting. We just had interactions with all our brothers and sisters, try to know the challenges they are facing in this state. We are here to rob minds together to tackle the challenges of intimidation and oppression, we decided to have interactions to know the root course of these challenges ad how to handle it.
On the angle of women of Ndị-Igbo community in Rivers Dr. Onyerimma posited that “The leadership of Ndi-Igbo community in Rivers state has been able to give listing ears to our people in Rivers state with the hope that it’s going to be handled effectively.
We are going to implement the out come of what has happened here through the government and and it’s agencies we don’t take laws into our hands. Before now we handling matter; last year we were able to recover about 1300 pieces of land from different areas that land grabbers collected from Ndi-Igbo.
The Igbo community in Rivers state had enabled women in Rivers state to know ourselves. Today the women has been told to constitute a committee that will be look into widow’s affairs and less privileged. From the women’s angle we have giving them hope because people have giving us support on how to empower our women
She expressed that the town haul meeting shall be a continuous exercise
“For this town hall meeting, it’s the first of its kind, we intend to be having it quarterly every year” Dr. Onyerimma reiterated
