The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the people of Enugu State to ignore some allegations being levelled against Dr. Victor Chukwuemeka Nnam, the former Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development in the state.
HURIWA, in a statement on Saturday by Comrade Emmanual Onwubiko, National Coordinator of the group, alleged that some groups made up of organized labour unions, concerned government agencies, and some others have “devoted resources to run media narratives in the major national dailies against the former commissioner”.
According to the rights group, Dr. Nnam, who recently tendered a resignation letter following the government’s inability to approve a proposal to reform land administration, has been accused of being involved in land racketeering.
HURIWAS said, “Currently, some persons and groups are using compromised high profile activists and media platforms to launch personal attacks against the former Commissioner.
“And for them to achieve their selfish objectives, they have allegedly forged fake documents and allegedly contracted some unprofessional media platforms to publish unverified the falsehoods against the institution.
“We have gathered that they have also tried to instigate the security agencies and the Enugu State House of Assembly through baseless unsubstantiated reports which were based on the same fake allegations that they have sponsored in the social media.
“The allegations against the former commissioner have ranged from his resignation being an avenue to evade prosecution over land mismanagement to land racketeering in the state”.
The rights group argued that despite the media campaign and reports on several platforms, no evidence of impropriety has been found.
Reacting to some of the allegations, HURIWA, in the statement, praised the former commissioner for towing the part of resignation in the midst of alleged undue interference from various quarters which is uncommon to politicians in Africa.
The rights group further said, “the former commissioner had been battling with some of his former colleagues and recently, with the state House of Assembly over the allegations of land racketeering”.
According to HURIWA, “In the resignation letter which was titled: ‘Letter of the resignation of my appointment as the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Enugu State,’ Dr Nnam cited the recent removal of the professional heads of a department under him as one of the reasons for his resignation.
“The letter which he personally signed and addressed to the state governor, partly reads, ‘Sir, when you appointed me the Commissioner of Lands and Urban Development, Enugu State in 2019, I accepted the appointment with the hope that I was going to be allowed to bring onboard world best practice in land administration.
“I immediately proposed the establishment of a GIS land administration system to enable the ministry to stamp out land grabbers and create investors’ confidence in our land system. The proposal was rejected without explanation to date.
“However, the reason for my resignation is the recent removal of the professional heads of the department under me on punitive grounds for simply doing their jobs diligently. My conscience will no longer allow me to continue to serve your administration while those innocent professional senior civil servants are punished for doing the right thing”, HURIWA quoted.
Also, reacting to the issue of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employee, NULGE, HURIWA stated that “the matter is already a subject of litigation, stressing that as such, there are things that may not need to be said, “but the former Commissioner has challenged that NULGE with all the existing documents in the ministry, do not have any title to the land”.
The rights group further quoted Dr. Nnam thus: “If NULGE claims to be the rightful owners of the said land, why are they afraid of going to the court?
“It is not an uncommon knowledge that when someone’s land is encroached on, the person has the court to run to but in this case, NULGE that claims ownership did not go to court, rather they decided to use powerful people in government to obstruct justice. I am aware that Hymac took NULGE to court. They should go to court and present their ownership proof. NULGE has no subsisting title over the land, let alone anyone revoking it”.
Ruminating on one of the issues relating to a previously alleged land allocation by a former local council chairman, HURIWA queried the outlandish and utterly pedestrian claim that the resignation of Dr. Nnam was to evade probe on a 13-year old case that lacked merit even from the first instance when Ezinwa’s troubles began in 2008 and had no bearing at all with the administration of Dr. Nnam as Lands Commissioner.
HURIWA in line with the saying that: “He who comes to equity must go with clean hands”, called on the Enugu State Police Commissioner; CP Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu to commence an investigation and invite for interrogation, the individuals behind these unrelenting tissues of lies and innuendos targeting the person of Dr, Chukuemeka Nnam.
“We also urge the Governor; His Excellency, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi not to be deceived by this evil campaign against the person of the former Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development because those making these baseless allegations are working hard to scuttle the government’s agenda for urban revolution in the Estate”.
Conclusively, HURIWA applauded Dr. Nnam’s reasons for resignation, while revealing that in civilized societies, it would be greeted with praise and commendation and considered noble, brave, a show of great character, integrity, and honour, rather it is being viewed in a different and negative light.
HURIWA further condemns the threats of demolition of the house reportedly belonging to the erstwhile Commissioner at Diamond Estate by the Enugu Capital Development Authority in what looks clearly like abuse of power and we call on the iconic Governor of Enugu State His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to call this lawless agency to order.
