The traditional ruler of Neke Uno, Nike in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, Igwe Eze Geoffrey Ogbu, has appealed to the state government to come to the aid of his community by demarcating the boundary between Neke Uno, Nike and Ukehe community in Igbo Etiti Local Government of Enugu State.
The Monarch lamented that the two communities from two different local governments have been at loggerheads over a parcel of land for many years, adding that efforts to resolve the matter through the courts have not yielded any dividend.
Igwe Ogbu made the call last week, when he paid a courtesy visit on the Speaker of Enugu State House of Assembly, Edward Uchenna Ubosi, in his office.
The royal father said the land in dispute has lingered in the law courts even as Ukehe people have continued to build on it.
To avoid escalating the matter, the royal father suggested that it would be proper if government plays fatherly role and demarcate the boundary to eschew further legal battle and also to forestall a possible break down of law and order between the two communities.
He claimed that the land in question, known as Anaoji belonged to his community, adding however that to avert blood shed between the two communities. Government’s intervention was necessary.
The traditional ruler disclosed that he had brought the matter before the former speaker, Eugene Odoh who incidentally hails from Ukehe but he did nothing and now appealed to Ubosi to intervene.
He also appeal to the Enugu State Government to complete the construction of the Neke Uno, Idodo River by Old Road known Neke Uno/Umunko Road embarked upon by the community through communal effort.
He pointed out that the community had spent over N250 million on the road and was now financially handicapped to continue
However, the Speaker told them that office of the deputy governor was handling replying to the appeal on land demarcation, He however promised that when the House Committee on Lands was constituted, they should bring a petition to that effect so that the land dispute could be tackled amicably.
He appealed to the communities in the dispute to follow the matter legally and to eschew violence.
