AN OPEN LETTER TO MR PRESIDENT.A CRY FOR HELP My name is Edwin Okolie, a native of Ubaha Ozuh in Ozuh Omuma autonomous community of Oru-East local Government Area in Imo State. I am into the hospitality and entertainment industry and have immensely contributed in providing jobs for our teeming youths and revenue in the form of taxation to the government . I have laboured so hard to earn a comfortable pedestal for myself,my immediate family,my community and my host community.I work so hard for every penny I have and as a good business man and a passionate believer in this country,I have invested wisely in some states of the federation where I operate my Ediz Wine bar. On a personal level,I have contributed my little quota to democracy and peace building by being amongst those to vigorously fight for the restoration of peace in Port-Harcourt and Rivers State which earned me the United Nations Peace Ambassador and the National Youth Council of Nigeria Extra Ordinary Youth Award. Similarly, I have used my Edwin Okolie Hope Alive Foundation to empower a lot of young persons,provided bikes to some of our youths,provide support to uncountable organizations and individuals,supported so many charitable cause,provide free lessons to our Secondary school students and older ones preparing for all kinds of examination,provide reading aids and equipping some schools. In my bid to contribute to the advancement of my State (Imo) I acquired a piece of land at Plot 104 Housing Area ‘C’ New Owerri, Imo State for fourty Million Naira (#40,000,000) sometime in 2011 with the intention to set up my wine bar business. Unfortunately,just when my bank was at the verge of granting me a loan facility to develop my property,I got the terrible shock of my life.I was informed that the State Government has revoked my land without any notice and in a bizarre circumstances allocated the same property to the Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere. The shocking aspect of this kangaroo revocation is that barely three days of the said revocation,my name was still in all the ministry of Lands official document. Just when I moved in to start developing the said property after settling the indigenous youths with half a million Naira and paying for my fencing permit to the Owerri Capital Development Authority(OCDA) that the ministry used blue pen to write revoke on the said property.I did all within my power to discuss with the Hon. Commissioner of Lands Mr. Uche Nwosu but he rebuffed all my pleas while working towards perfecting the said kangaroo revocation and re-asigning the property to the Deputy Governor,Prince Eze Madumere. Unfortunately, just as I was managing to fence the property because my bank FCMB Had approved a loan for me to expand my business the Deputy Governors elder brother, one Mr Chijioke Madumere led a truck load of police men and thugs to humiliate and over power me and started digging foundation on the said parcel of land. In a boisterous manner he avered that the Deputy Governor has the right to revoke and take any land of his choice hence he has the backing of the commissioner for lands and the ministry. As a law abiding citizen,I have decided to bring my plight to the highest authority and to the court of public opinion.I wish to humbly ask some pertinent questions 1) What is the basic use of power, is it to forcefully take over the legitimate property of hard working citizens? 2) When has it become a crime to honestly but legitimately own a property? 3)Can a government revoke a landed property without informing the owner of the said land especially when the contact details of the owner is with the ministry? 4)If not for greed,mischief and avarice, while will a government revoke a land and use its powers to re-allocate the same land to a high ranking member of the same government? 5)Are we operating in a jungle society where the high and mighty will deliberately feast on the innocent and defenceless members of the society? This entire episode has done a great harvoc to my mind and has really shaken me to my bone marrow.It has kept me wondering if indeed this is indeed the kind of society we want to bequeath to our unborn generation. If this can happen to me then what is the fate of other countless but voiceless people in Imo state.I have never been involved in any crime and I toiled so hard for every penny I have got and as such cannot afford to watch my hard earnings frittered away by a man whose love for power have beclouded his power of love.Napoleon rightly captures it when he posits thus The world suffers a lot, not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people! I hereby call on His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the Imo state Governor, all relevant authorities and the entire Nigerians to kindly but dispassionately look into my plight for injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere and according to Nelson Mandela “A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones” Thanks and God bless. Yours Sincerely Edwin Chibuzor Okolie CEO Eddiez Wine Bar
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 09:04:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015