Imo State Government has defended its decision to give some parts of land at Mbaise, Ngor-Okpala LGA to Zion Ministry, a prayer group owned by EVANG Chukwuebuka Obi.
It maintained that the land was duly acquired by the State Government from the native owners.
The State Government is coming up with the statement following a series of protests from some groups alleging that the Government and the Zion Ministry did not duly consult with indigenous owners of the land before acquiring it.
In reacting to the allegation, the Government, through the office of the Commissioner in charge of Lands, Survey and Physical Planning, Enyinnaya Onuegbu, said that apportioning some plots of the said land to Ebuka’s ministry was in line with the current administration of Hope Uzodinma’s policies of projecting and promoting programmes that were focused on sustainable development of the State
Onuegbu, however, explained that contrary to claims by certain individuals that the State Government acquired 30,000 hectares of land for Evangelist Ebuka Obi, the truth remains that only 2,000 hectares of land were acquired in 2003 by the then former Governor Achike Udenwa with Certificate of Occupancy issued in favour of the proposed Guangdong Free Trade Zone, an initial project for the land which later failed.
”Upon expression of interest by Zion Ministries to make strategic investments in the area, the Government allocated 1,000 hectares of the existing 2,000 hectares to them”
“This was designated for the development of public-use infrastructure, including a school, hospital, religious centre, water processing factory, event centre, old people’s home, estate development, and more,” he said.
