OPINION: Now That Eke Is Designated An Urban Town, What Next ?

OPINION: Now That Eke Is Designated An Urban Town, What Next ?

OPINION: Now That Eke Is Designated An Urban Town, What Next ?

By Collins OkoloChukwu Obodo, Deputy Corps Commander Rtd

Mr. Collins O. Obodo, a retired Deputy Corps Commander has penned down an opinion on what Eke should look like, now that Governor Peter has named the community among urban Town, while signing into order the land use regulation.

Obodo wrote;

It is no longer news that the entire Udi Local Government has been designated Urban Area, Eke inclusive. This was enshrined in the new Enugu State Land Use Regulations law and captured in Enugu State Geographic Information System (ENGIS), which was subsequently signed into law by His Excellency Dr Peter Mbah Governor of Enugu State penultimately. Ever since, people kept
grappling with its proper understanding, the modalities, the impacts and the benefits of the above on the affected areas and the people.

As expected, there are high hopes that the new dispensation may trump up some positive paradigm shifts such as:

a. Massive inroads into the hinterlands and their rehabilitations, resulting in urbanizations.

b. Massive social and physical infrastructural developments, including roads, agric, schools, healthcare and manufacturing industries.

c. Massive job creation opportunities and youth empowerments.

d. Promotion of economic growth and investment opportunities.

e. Reduced urban migration and lower house rents in the town

f. Speedy acquisitions and rapid processing of Certificate Of Occupancy (C.O.O).

g. Appreciation in house rents in the affected areas.

h. Etc.

Towards this new trend, the Town Union, EPF, Igwe and the Council and other relevant stakeholders should carefully study above with a view to finding out both positive and negative effects of the new land reforms and the conferment of Urban status on Eke. Consideration should be given to taxes, levies, revenues, rights of the individual people vis a vis government rights of land acquisition, bearing in mind that the  Governor is the Chief custodian of lands in his State.

As an urban area, Eke lands and houses are expected to attract greater values and revenues. For this reason more attention should be paid to boundary identifications with our neighbouring communities. ETU, Village Unions and Igwe should embark on reaching lasting joint boundary agreements with our neighbouring communities. The agreed borders should be supported by planting life trees like Ogbu, Aboshi and Ogilishi. Inside our own side of the borderlands, we should plant some economic trees like cashews, mangoes, palm trees, Ujulu, Ogbono and bamboos. The measure will prevent inter land conflicts with our neighbours. We need to sow lasting seeds of peace and prosperity for the young and the future generations. We should avoid sowing seeds of hatred, discord, conflicts and wars between our children and their families, kindred people and the neighbours. The era of inter group wars was over as emphasis today is on healthy competitions for rapid developments. To me this is the best and an ideal legacy we should leave behind to our dear children of Eke Great Kingdom.

There is need to cash on this State Government’s offer of olive branch to develop and turn Eke into an enviable city. To do this, ETU should map out some specific non-residential areas designated as exclusive reserve for industrial developments in order to attract larger government presence and investors to Eke. Such project designated sites should best located at the borderlands with our neighbours, namely:

1. Ngwo
2. Ebe
3. Egede-Affa
4. Akama Oghe
5. Amansiodo Oghe
6. Ihuonyia community

As stated earlier, with the new upgraded urban status, it should no longer be business as usual. The lackadaisical inertia and expansion phobia inherent in our people should no longer be entertained. With her new elevated status as an Urban Area, Eke should take security of lands and the boundary matters very serious. With the expected higher values to our lands and the anticipated attraction of both governments and big private investors, there will be high revenue generations for the town, job creation, robust economic growths and high demands for lands and houses in Eke. These are likely to be followed by rapid urbanizations, massive roads and other infrastructures, if properly harnessed.

During my Christmas/New Year stay in my village of Ogui Agu, I heard that some of our neighbours had leased out their Farmstead to Palm trees Plantation Investors. According to my informants, when others got the hints of above, they quickly mobilized and went to negotiate with the investors over their own land which was included in the areas leased to the Palm investors. To get a clearer picture of the above, in the company of my Nephew Mr Sunday Magbo, I visited my friend Ozor Dr Ferdinand Anikwe’s home resident at Ijine clan of Ihuonyia community on the 9th of this month. Though I did not meet him indoors, the big man had greatly appreciated my visit. Later I was glad to know that the aforementioned was a 50-Year Leasehold Tenure Agreement, and that the lands involved in the Lease Agreement were far away from our community. I heaved a sigh of relief.

The best way to secure lands from intending grabbers and encroachers is to put same to use. However, I was glad when I heard that Ogui Agu Youths had demarcated some of our borderlands. This is another surest way to avoid future intercommunity land conflicts with them. In addition to above, more life sustainable trees like Ogbu and Ogilishi could be planted alongside the borderlines to guarantee a permanent boundary identification. We may even use that borderline as a new Uzoagu Ogui Agu Road in order to make the boundary more visibly permanent. Ogbanito Group may allocate the borderlands to our people wishing to plant cassava, right from Ukwuiyi to Edu-onicha. When big investors come, our borderlands should be the first to give out in order to secure our lands from encroachment: Namely: Agu-ntanta through Agu-umuneke, Agu-Ogbakuba and most importantly, the Agu-Crecsent Ebunoha axis which is our most vulnerably exposed land mass.

ONUZULIKE
is also my name
20th January 2025

OPINION: Now That Eke Is Designated An Urban Town, What Next ?