Wife of Late Chief Ugwu Nwafor Ujam, one of the founding fathers of Enugu State, Lady Uchenwa, has cried out over the delay in allowing her access to her husband’s property at Ogbete Main market, Enugu.
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Addressing a press conference in Enugu yesterday, Lady Ujam said she had made several trips to the office of the Chairman of the Enugu North Local Government Council to get possession of the property measured 50ft by 50ft but met brick wall.
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Dr Ujam, a former lecturer at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu also said that the leadership of Ogbete Main Market, Enugu had not helped matter as no one was ready to show her the property at the market.
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The ex-staff of Anambra State Broadcasting Service (ABS) now Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) disclosed that she was deceived by the immediate-past administration of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi into believing that she will get back the property after development of the market.
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“I was deceived by the immediate-past administration of Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi that the entire market will be developed only to find out that my husband’s 50ft by 50ft land will be no more. We were asked to pay N5.7m per stall. I do not care about the number of stalls but what I am seeking is our own 50ft by 50ft land genuinely allocated to my husband in 1987. Show me my space since the lock up shops have been completed”, she stated.
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The widow of the elder statesman who recalled the role her husband played in the building of the ‘Wawa Land’, regretted the injustice being meted out to her family.
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Lady Ujam who holds a PhD in Engineering also recalled that her husband had in September 12, 2012, written to the Executive Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Council, requesting for removal of some traders who have illegally occupied and refused to vacate the frontage area allocated to her husband.
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“It is our intention to erect a befitting edifice on that land to improve the environmental/sanitary condition of the area, and we do not intend to take laws into our hands”, the letter added.
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Prior to it, she said, an approval of demonstration base at the market dated December 17, 1987 and signed by Egr. T. N. Odenigbo then Deputy Town Engineer, for the Sole Administrator for Enugu Local Government was given to her husband.
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“My question is: am I paying for the space of 50ft by 50ft or for a stall and how many stalls make up my space of land?
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“I want to know whether the 5.2m is for my husband’s 50ft by 50ft. Again, let the OMMATA chairman give me the dimension of what the 5.2m is paying for, that is the size of the stall”, she further asked.
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Displaying various documents attesting to the authenticity of the allocation, Lady Ujam called on the state governor, Dr Peter Mbah and other relevant authorities to help her have access to her husband’s property at Ogbete market, Enugu as justice delayed is justice denied.
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Contacted, President of Ogbete Market, Stephen Aniagu, said it is not true that Lady Ujam is being denied access to her husband’s property, stressing that the Lady had not complied with the agreement entered with the Developer by paying the required fee of N5.2m per stall.
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“The Lady in question hails from my community and I am also the National President of Awkunanaw Welfare Association. I hold her in high esteem. It behooves on me to protect my sister. I have told her what to do. I even met one of her children and explained to him. I have the documents to support my claims”, Aniagu told reporters on Saturday.
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Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Chairman of Enugu North Local Government Council, Hon. Emeka Onuze were not fruitful as he was not in the office when this reporter visited him on Friday for reaction.
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