The Abia State Government on Saturday commenced the demolition of illegal buildings on Government College’s land, in Umuahia.
The demolition exercise, according to the General Manager of Umuahia Capital Development Authority, UCDA, Kingsley Agomoh, serves as a warning to those who are fond of encroaching on government land.
Speaking during the exercise, Agomoh explained that the Abia State Government handed over the Government College Umuahia to the institution’s Old Boys association with a certificate of occupancy.
The Government, therefore, wondered why some individuals will still embark on selling government land.
Agomoh, however, stressed the need for people to properly make enquiries before purchasing plots of land in the State.
The General Manager further explained that the occupants of the encroached land were duly served notice before the demolition.
“Structures standing on the encroached areas now belong to the Government College, Umuahia,” he said.
Collaborating with the GM said, Chairman of Umuana Ndume lbeku Community, Friday Ohaeri, explained that the encroached land belongs to the Government College Umuahia. He pointed that their forefathers voluntarily donated the land to the Government.
According to him, those who encroached on the land did so for selfish interests. They did not do it on behalf of the Umuana Community.
Reacting to the development, the 2nd National Vice President of the Government College Umuahia Old Boys Association, GCUOBA, Eze Justice Chinonyerem Uwaka, reminisced on the school’s compound. He recalled that the encroached areas in the school were the places that used to be the college farmland.
Uwaka recollected that in the past, the Old Boys had asked the illegal occupants to leave the area. But they claimed that the land was sold to them by the people of Umuana Community.
The 2nd VP maintained that the State Government handed over the school to the Old Boys of Government College for educational development with the Certificate of Occupancy. He, therefore, stated that the demolition will serve as a warning to others.
Recall that the Abia State Government recently set up a committee to recover about 180 school lands that were allegedly taken over by individuals.
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