By Dr. John Obi
There is pointless tension at Idumuje Ugboko community, Aniocha North Local Government Area, Delta State, over the acquisition of about 133 hectares of land by an indigene, Prince Ned Nwoko, to build a university, STARS, an acronym for sports, technology, arts, research and science and an Olympic standard golf course in his native land.
Concern
The worry is that the needless apprehension is principally promoted by some elite in the community, who ought to know better, giving the impression that there is something strange.
It is public knowledge that Prince Chukwunonso Nwoko, who does not have staff of office as monarch, a top businessman, Dr Gabriel Ogbechie are among those against the acquisition, on grounds that the land for the golf course was not properly acquired from the late monarch, HRM Albert Nwoko, a contention that Ned Nwoko countered.
Some of the elite argue that the whole effort by Ned was aimed at land grabbing, as there is no university project or golf course under construction by him on the hectares of land so appropriated.
They submitted that he first requested for 33 hectares for a dairy farm project, which was granted, but he did not execute it, only to ask for another 90 hectares for a golf course and university.
Ordinarily, communities would scramble for government and any private investor that wants to site university on their land, knowing that the massive project will eventually open up the town, but Idumuje Ugboko is getting them on a platter. Community leadership are known to lobby and even spend money to attract such projects to their area, so why are some people fighting development in Idumuje Ugboko? Or put differently, why is Idumuje Ugboko case different?
Facts on ground
This writer visited Idumuje- Ugboko, last month, and verified that construction works were ongoing at both the university and golf course projects. The dairy project could not go continue after the cows bought for the farm were stolen and others died. But there are palm plantation, fish ponds, zoo and other agricultural businesses, providing livelihoods for hundreds of persons on the land.
Unfortunately, an endowed son of Idumuje Ugboko, Gabriel Ogbechie, whose company, Norsworthy Farms and Allied Industries Limited, recently acquired 3,000 hectares of land for oil palm plantation and processing plant at Akwukwu-Igbo in Oshimili North local government of the state, displacing farmers and hundreds of families, who depend on the land for survival, is among those pointing fingers at Ned Nwoko.
Another poser
In Akwukwu Igbo, the 3,000 hectares of land acquired by Norsworthy, has caused rancor in the community than unity, as affected villagers, who have cried their hearts out, are up in arms against Norsworthy and the state government over the commandeering of their farmlands. It has pit villagers and community leaders against the monarch and his foot soldiers, who facilitated the arrangement.
The question that beats imagination is if the private palm plantation farm in Akwukwu Igbo owned by another Idumuje Ugboko son is more advantageous to the people of Idumuje Ugboko than the university project and international golf course being built in Idumuje Ugboko? In one breath, some say they are not against the university project and development of the town, but that the location of the dairy farm was turned into a university site.
But a concerned native asked: “If their concern is sincere why are they writing petitions against the university to the governor, NUC and the Federal Ministry of Education. Why did they violently attack the supporters of the university. Why did they maim and kill to show their disapproval over land use?”
It is this unbecoming attitude towards the Idumuje-Ugboko STARS University and golf course projects that make many ask if the genuine grouse is the desirability of the projects or subjective rage of some persons motivated by jealousy against Ned Nwoko.
Urgent task for Idumuje inhabitants
No matter the interests at stake, the unwanted conflict should be resolved in the interest of the generality of Idumuje-Ugboko people because it will bring progress, not only to the community and Delta state, but Nigeria and the world at large. A 90-hectare golf course in Idumuje Ugboko is a goldmine and for a university to be approved by the National University Commission, NUC, it must sit on a land of 100 hectares, which the golf course, is part of for the sports university.
However, Prince Ned Nwoko, who God has blessed and using as an instrument to develop his community should be shrewd enough to recognize the source of the anger of some persons, and joined by other indigenes of Idumuje Ugboko that love development, appeal to their sense of right and wrong and make them understand that the projects are unquestionably for the overall good of Idumuje Ugboko land.
Dr. John Obi writes from Delta State. He is a public affairs analyst
