Prison in Ezinifite, not Ekwulobia, says monarch

TRADITIONAL ruler of Ezinifite community in Aguata Council of Anambra State, HRH Igwe Bob Orji has disputed that the 11.0045 hectares of land on which the Federal Prisons, housing the unwanted Boko Haram detainees belongs to the Agu-Oka Umuagu family of Aku village in Ezinifite.

The monarch said there was no controversy over that. To buttress his point, he tendered various official documents with which the two families of Ezinifite, who previously owned the land wrote to the community in presenting the land.

Again, he tendered a copy of letter with which the community in turn presented the land to the council and the one ref AGD/3342/6 with which the council presented the land to the then old Anambra State Government dated September 28,1983.
The official Certified True Copy of survey plan of the land area dated August 26,1983 was also tendered.

The monarch, who spoke to The Guardian, expressed dismay over the persistent media reference to the prisons as if it was located in Ekwulobia. He noted that he had been restraining his people from making serious issue out of this, but chose to visit the Comptroller-General of Prisons and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, where he formally submitted the relevant documents. Sets of the documents have also been given to Governor Willie Obiano, the Aguata Council chairman and the Aguata council of traditional rulers.

He bemoaned the absence of any of the social amenities promised Ezinifite when the request for the land was made more than three decades ago. These include employment, portable water, roads, security and electricity. None exists. None was provided till date.

HRH Orji disclosed that despite not making good any of the earlier promises, the Federal Government never paid any form of compensation to the community or the families that provided their land for the project. Till date no son or daughter of Ezinifite has ever been given any form of employment at the prisons.