Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) host communities have rallied against alleged land grabbing, unjust land acquisitions and sales by the university. They are seeking the intervention of authorities. CHRIS NJOKU reports
In the bustling city of Owerri, Imo State, amid the towering structures and streets, lies a simmering conflict that has brought together 11 host communities in a unified stand against perceived injustice.
The Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) stands at the centre of this dispute, its actions sparking a wave of protest and resistance from residents.
Human emotions at play
At the heart of this unfolding drama are the voices of individuals and families who gathered last week at the Imo State High Court premises, a symbolic battleground named in honour of the late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa.
heir faces bearing determination and resolve, these protesters embody a mix of emotions – anger, fear, and a deep sense of betrayal – as they confront what they perceive as a threat to their existence.
Cry for intervention
Amid the chants and banners, a singular message resonates through the air: the urgent need for intervention to prevent potential conflicts.
The demonstrators, standing shoulder to shoulder in New Owerri, make it clear that they will not back down in the face of what they see as alleged land grabbing by FUTO. Their demands for justice echo through the streets, a poignant reminder of the power of community solidarity in the face of adversity.
Legal battles and allegations
The protest at the state High Court premises marked a pivotal moment in the ongoing legal battles between the FUTO management and the aggrieved host communities.
The demonstrators, armed with placards bearing poignant messages with slogans like “We say no to land grabbing” and “Our ancestral land is our heritage which must be protected,” voiced their concerns over what they perceived as unjust land acquisitions and sales by the university.
Calls for government intervention
Elder Vincent Njoku, a spokesperson for protesters outlined their legal strategy to halt FUTO’s activities on the contested land until a court ruling is reached.
He criticised the university’s defiance of government directives regarding land allocation and accused the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nnenna Oti, of facilitating land sales through a company allegedly owned by her.
Also, Mrs. Ngozi Amadi, one of the protesters added that “FUTO takes our land with impunity and alacrity.”
She said: “We came to inform the court and the government that FUTO should leave our land for our children and our children’s children. FUTO took our land by force. Our children do not have any more place to build upon. Since they took our land, no compensation. None of our children is getting jobs. No nothing!”
Amadi called on the government to tell FUTO to return their land. “We need our land back,” she said.
The protesters called on the Imo State Commissioner of Police, CP Aboki Danjuma, to prevent further intimidation by individuals associated with the land disputes.
They emphasised the need for a fair resolution through legal channels and urged authorities to uphold justice.
The protesters’ resolve to protect their heritage and secure their future resonated through their demands for accountability and respect for legal processes.
Their unified voice sought not only redress for past grievances but also a commitment to safeguarding their land rights for generations to come.
The protesters called upon both State and Federal Government to intervene.
The land dispute between FUTO and its host communities dates back over a decade, with accusations and counter-accusations muddying the waters of negotiation.
The communities have continued to disagree over the acquisition of lands by the institution.
FUTO management accused the host communities of encroaching on its lands, while the host communities have also called on the institution to pay them compensation according to the Land Use Act.
This issue was said to have started in 1982 and has lingered to date. It came to a point where a committee was set up by the Federal governyment to resolve the matter between the communities and FUTO, but to no avail.
To this end, a new twist to the controversial land dispute was the threat by the Federal Government to relocate the institution. This came when the FUTO delegation visited the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, where they listed the challenges the institution was facing from the communities, one of which they claimed was encroachment into their lands.
However, that threat to relocate the institution by the Federal Government did not go down well with the host communities.
Sam Anokam, attorney to the host communities explained the stance of the the people who maintained that no compensation has been paid to them.
“We advised the university to show the world the proof that they have paid compensation for the land they claim belongs to the institution.
He said: “Host communities are not creating any problem for FUTO. We have been receiving calls, and the host communities want to state their stance on the report that the Federal governmyent wants to relocate FUTO.
“The government supposedly acquired 4,455 hectares of land for FUTO, and neither the state government nor the Federal governmyent paid any compensation.
“Let us recall that in the first development plan, FUTO met with the host communities of Ihiagwa, Eziobodo, and Umuanunu Obinze, on an area that consists of at least 1,300 hectares to say let us house FUTO.
That was during the time of Evans Enwerem as governor of Imo State.
“They said in this area, let us pay you compensation in two instalments. They were paid in two instalments haphazardly because up till today, some people were not paid. Up till today, FUTO said they own the 4,455 hectares and they said they have paid compensation, and we say wrong, that it is not true, show us evidence.
“I petitioned the NUC, Federal Ministry of Education. I petitioned the Ministry of Power, Housing, and Works. They used the police to arrest and detain the youths of the various communities and say this situation may aggravate to something else. I went and brought the Minister of Works here to visit the host communities and FUTO, and he said fine, let us set up a committee to look into this problem.
“The host communities nominated me and Major General Ogbonna, and FUTO nominated some of their professors. We also have legal advisers and surveyors.
“We sat with the federal authorities at that point, and the facts came to the open, and FUTO was asked to produce the evidence of the survey. They produced it, produced evidence of the payment of compensation, and we analysed them and discovered they did not pay up to 10 percent of the recommendations in 1982. When we asked them, they said that they have completed payment, and we asked who did you pay to? But they don’t have evidence.
“However, we have progressed beyond that point, and we are currently in the implementation stage of the agreement reached between land owners and the Federal Government. Since 2020, the Federal Government haf committed to permanently resolving the issue by allocating a portion of the disputed land to its rightful owners. The government has designated 1,267 hectares out of the over 4000 to the host communities, although they are requesting for more.
“Under the current administration of Prof. Oti, the FUTO management ironically formed a company called FUTO-ORIENT Garden Estate, which began developing the disputed land and selling it to the general public.
“The land was originally designated for educational purposes. However, when it is sold to the general public for building houses, it no longer serves the intended purpose for which it was granted to the school.”
Anokam said that ignited the current protest because “you don’t expect the people to sit down and watch while their land is being sold to the public.”
Mrs. Joy Nnodi, the Head of Information and Public Relations at FUTO, said the VC is reluctant to involve herself in the issue, “viewing it as a distraction”.
“She has declined to comment on it, indicating that she is not inclined to react to the situation,” she added.
As the conflict between FUTO and its host communities continues to unfold, the call for justice, fair resolution, and respect for legal processes remains at the forefront of the issue.
