A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Hon. Tony Anukwu alleged to have built his house on waterways within the Asaba Capital Territory, which is said to be occasioning flood and erosion in the area has refuted the allegations as gimmicks of land speculators seeking to extort money from him.
The structure was said to be blocking the access road and waterways in Airport View Estate, near Asaba in Okpanam, Oshimili north local government area of the State.
But Hon. Anukwu insisted that the said land was not in anyway connected or part of road or waterway blockages in the Estate.
Anukwu, who was contacted on telephone, said the residents were just trying to embarrass him, adding, it was not true that the land was controversial.
He said It was also untrue that the government advised him to remove his structure, but rather it was one Chief Obi who was alleged to be blocking the way by the original land owners, Umu-Odafe Community of Ibusa, when a community fact-finding team visited the area.
Anukwu said the residents/protesters were just trying to create trouble for their personal reasons, thinking they could blackmail and embarrass him to manipulate the truth and force him out of his rightful and legitimate property.
According to Hon. Anthony Anukwu, “I bought the said land in 2015 from one Mr Jude Egbubizim, who bought from one Mr Emeka Ezechie of Ogbe-Owele quarters, Okpanam; same man that also sold to one Mr Joseph Obi a bricklayer by profession who now turn himself into land owner that determines where a road should be undermining the layout plan of the said Area.
“Sometime in 2021, this said Obi hired certain fifth columnists to write rubbish against my person, which prompted over 40 indigenes of Umu -Odafe Community of Ibusa (now the new land owners of the said Area) to visit area, led by Chief Barr Fred Ajudua, in company of Ogalanya Ede, Chief Pope, among others.
“At the spot assessment the said Mr Obi was told that where he is alleging to be a road and waterway was never a road. But instead, he was the one that built on the waterway.
“In attempt by the Ibusa Community delegation to use bulldozer to remove his house which is blocking the waterway , the said Mr Obi resorted to all manner of entreaties.
“Chief Fred Ajudua then instructed the land committee to create an access road because the original plan of the area has been tampered with by certain indigenes of Okpanam, who encroached into the land .
“To my greatest surprise the same Obi who built on waterway went to the press mentioning me as the person who built and blocked the waterway.
“I call for a media team he used to blackmail me to visit the area and get firsthand insight on who built on the waterway”, the PDP Chieftain suggested.
He further disclosed that the said Mr Obi is a land grabber, who was arrested by the lbusa Community for more than four consecutive times over land related issues in the same area.
“Even last two weeks, he was arrested by Ibusa people and taken to SARS office over land issues. So what he’s doing is divert people’s attention from the actual issue.
“He is neither an indigene of Okpanam or neighbouring Ibusa. He was not around when both communities plotted their lands.
“Yet, he’s is the one now dictating where a road should be who owns land and who doesn’t own”, Hon. Anukwu wondered.
