A businessman, Chief Walter Okeke, has dragged Igwe Godwin Ezeilo, the traditional ruler of Nanka community to the Public Complaints Commission in Anambra State over land matters.
Okeke said the market space allotted to him by Orumba North Council Authority was being contested with him by the traditional ruler.
Okeke, who presented the matter to the PCC during a Case Conference on Monday, said the land in question in the Bank Area of Afor Nanka Market was allotted to him in 2015 during the chairmanship of Chief Okey Enekwe.
The businessman, who is also from Nanka, said the allotment was done alongside those given to other notable indigenes of the town, but wondered why the exact place assigned to him was being contested by Ezeilo.
The petitioner, who revealed he was the chairman of a Microfinance Bank, said he got a call to come for the allocation paper after which he made payments and did a survey of the area given to him to construct his bank building.
He accused Chief Bernard Onyekwelu, the President-General of Nanka, who was the deputy council chairman at the time of allocation, of leading some persons to remove the beacons in the cover of the night on the grounds that the allocation had expired.
He said the recent revalidation exercise on the market land by the council was a ploy to take away a land he legitimately owned.
Okeke urged the PCC to mediate on the matter and tell the monarch, the council and Onyekwere to leave his space for him.
In his reply, Onyekwere said he neither visited any land nor removed beacons nor told anybody that his land allocation had expired.
Onyekwere said he only visited two parcels of land that were allocated to Ezeilo for bank and eatery projects on his instruction to inspect it, adding that when he got to the place there was no beacons or any survey signs there.
The president-general said he did not go to the site by 8pm as alleged by Okeke but did so about 10am and spent about 30 minutes.
He said council officials were in the best position to talk on the issue of allocation and revalidation, while calling for amicable resolution to ensure peace reigned in Nanka community.
Testifying, Enekwe admitted that the allocation given to Okeke was genuine and was for construction of building for stall.
Enekwe, however, said the allocation was subject to expiration, subject to compliance with conditions, which included that it must be developed within a period of time.
On his position, Ezeilo said the land he was talking about was allotted to him and his family on July 1, 2014 by the council authorities for the purpose of building a commercial bank block and an eatery.
Ezeilo told the commission that Okeke did not have any piece of land in Afor Nanka market, but only an allocation done by Orumba North council and that it was not right that he surveyed it.
The land in question was advertised in 2013 and allotted in 2014 when it was said to be given to Okeke.
Sam Mba, Chairman of Market Development Committee of the council, said the allocation documents tendered by Okeke and the monarch were genuine, but expressed surprise that the parties did not approach the council for reconciliation before going public.
Samben Nwosu, the Federal Commissioner in charge of Anambra State office of PCC, said there was need for parties to allow peace to reign on the matter, adding that the Ombudsman did not judge who was right or wrong but mediate for amicable settlement.
Nwosu said technicalities would not be entertained and urged the parties to come with witnesses who would help to authenticate their rightful ownership of the space in dispute.
He adjourned hearing on the matter until August 23.
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