A 21.211 hectares of land leased for 99 years to a firm for agricultural purposes has been recovered by the leadership of Isiagu Community, Akwa south local government area of Anambra State.
According to the leaders of the community, the decision to revoke the lease agreement became inevitable due to the failure by the firm to fulfill its own side of the obligation.
The Deed of Lease between the representatives of the land was dated January, 1978.
It was gathered that, part of the said agreement, which permitted the lessee to take possession of the said land, was for farming and agro-allied purposes.
Justifying the family’s decision, the Chairman of Ezu Family Assembly (EFA), Samuel Nwosu and Secretary, Sunday Odogwu, said the agricultural developers (the lessees) defaulted by failing and refusing to pay the necessary ground rent and other customary requirements for about 20 years.
“It will interest you to know that for over 20 years, the developer failed to fulfil the legitimate expectations of our family due to its inability to abide to the terms and conditions stated in the lease agreement as reached.”
The duo pointed out that, in the face of such grievous default, the lessees purportedly sold part of the said land to a third party, without the knowledge or consent of the lessors.
According to them, the third party had allegedly mounted a sign post on the land, and taken possession of the land owners’ property with impunity and breach of lease agreement, a development, they described as forcible entry and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.
They told reporters that they did not want to take the laws into their hands and decided to seek the intervention of the traditional ruler of Isiagu, Igwe Augustine Nwankwo.
The monarch confirmed that his subjects sought his intervention, adding that he tried to resolve the matter between both parties, by inviting the lessees for discussion.
But according to him, the courier he sent to the other party to the land since 2019 had not been replied till date.
The monarch said the land owners should feel free to recover their land since the original purpose had been defeated.
