By Adanma Ebere
A passionate appeal has been made to Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, for the retrieval, validation, and handing over of lands already paid for by some investors in the state.
In a Save Our Soul (SOS) appeal dated January 23, 2023, the investors stress that it is with a very heavily laden broken heart that they appeal to Governor Soludo to wade into the lingering matter with the State Government, Ministry of Housing, and its agency/legal body/entity, AHOCOL/AHOCOL SAVINGS AND LOANS LIMITED, over lands purchased from the state government through them.
Between 2010 and 2013, Anambra State Government, through its Ministry of Housing, acting via its Agency/Legal Body AHOCOL advertised that it was developing estates totalling twenty-two(22) in number. The total number of plots summed up to Three thousand, seven hundred and twenty-four (3,724) plots, or thereabouts, in its proposed Housing Estates in different areas, outlining the Awka Capital Territory. This is increasingly taking the colouration of a massive heist against the Anambra State Government and the unsuspecting citizens of Nigeria. The twenty-two (22) housing estates are as listed thus:
1.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 1 : 700 plots.
2.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 2: 172 plots.
3.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase3: 86 plots
4.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 4: 108 plots
5.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu Phase 5: 70 plots
6&7.University Campus H/E, Ukwulu, Phase 1 and Phase 2, both: 200 plots
8.Udokamaka H/E, Isuaniocha: 178 plots
9.Chukwudolu H/E,Isuaniocha: 34 plots
10.Green H/E, Mgbakwu, PH.1:200 plots
11.” “. “. “. “. “. “, PH.2:20 plots
12.Ikemba Super Habitat H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 1: 82 plots
13. Ikemba Super Habitat H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 2: 32 plots
14.Millennium H/E, Urum, Ph.1: 200 plots
15.” “. “. “. ‘ Urum, Ph.2: 80 plots
16.Aladinma Int. H/E, Isiagu: 450 plots
17.City Pride H/E, Isiagu: 500 plots
18.Ifedioranma H/E, Mgbakwu, PH.1: 190 plots
19.”. “. “. Mgbakwu, Ph2: 90 plots
20. Oriental H/E, Aguleri: 200 plots
21.Legacy H/E, Mgbakwu, Ph.1: 81 plots
22.”. “. “. ,Mgbakwu, Ph 2: 51 plots.
The total number of plots is a whopping Three thousand, seven hundred and twenty four (3, 724Nos) of plots, or thereabouts.
A good number of citizens of Nigeria reacted positively by investing in the said estates proposed and advertised for development, by Anambra State Government, through its Ministry for Housing, and its agency/legal entity Ahocol by paying for the said lands on offer for the estates’ development.
Payments ranging from #385,000:00 to #720,000, or more, per plot of land, were made in these advertised/proposed estates for development at Mgbakwu and the other areas. The breakdown of the payments made per each plot as it related to Chukwuemeka Housing Estate, Phase 3, as were applicable to the other locations were as follows:-
I.) Application for a plot of land- #10,000
ii.) Payment for a plot of land- #180,000
iii.) Acceptance Fee – #10,000
iv.)Building Plan. – #100,000
v.)Survey Plan. – #45,000
vi.)Ground Rent. – #30,000
vii.)Power of Attorney. – #10,000
The same or different degrees of differences equally applied in all the proposed Housing Estates. After these payments, all the efforts made towards the State Government to take the investors to the physical locations of the proposed estates, at Mgbakwu, and the other locations, to show the respective plots of land for possession and development failed.
Not long after, the news spread that AHOCOL SAVINGS & LOANS LIMITED, the Legal Body/Entity, through which the State Government transacted the lands sales, had gone into receivership of the NDIC, for defaulting in paying its statutory fees to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Since then, the investments in the lands purchases entered into with Anambra State Government have been in jeopardy without the investors taking possession of the lands validly paid for and purchased.
The idea of the State-owned AHOCOL SAVINGS & LOANS LIMITED going into receivership throws up some salient issues which the investors strongly feel the new administration ought to look into as a continuum in political governance, including assets and liabilities.
The investors are pleading that the money paid to the State Government for the purchases of the lands,l through its Legal Entity falls into the category of IGR for the State Government. The money realised from all the Nigerian citizens who invested in the land purchases amounting to the neighbourhood of #1,433,740,000:00(One billion, four hundred and thirty-three million, seven hundred and forty thousand Naira), or even more, may not be into the coffers of the State Government. The investors are urging Governor Soludo to see that justice is done quickly in his cherished spirit of Solution is Here. The investors happen to be retirees who invested their all.
Hereunder are the petitioners with their bonafides:
1. Engr. UKAEGBU, Thankgod Ekene
email: mekene24@yahoo.com
Phone: 0803 549 5103
2. NWANGWU, Emmanuel
email: emmanuel.nwangwu@unn.edu.ng
Phone: 0803 896 2844
3. Chief UBASHINACHI, Onyebuchkwu U.
email: chiefuba44gmail.com
Phone: 0803 324 0422
4. Chief EZEUDU, Gilbert
email: gikenz@yahoo.com
Phone: 0803 303 1673
5. NNABUGWU, Makodi Biereenu
email: makodibienna@gmail.com
Phone: 0808 024 3464
6. MADUOLOSI, Emmanuel O.
email: titandu234@yahoo.co.uk
Phone: 0701 997 3382
7. EGWUONWU, Emmanuel Eme.
email: egwuonwuemmanuel@gmail.com
Phone: 0816 177 0420
8. Prof. IKEANYIBE, Okey
email: Okeyikeanyibe@yahoo.com
Phone: 0703 081 9757
9. Chief Sir ESOMONU, Martins N.
email: ndibem4mart@gmail.com
Phone: 0802 642 2563
10. Prof. NNABUDE, Peter C.
email: petnnabude@gmail.com
Phone: 0703 312 8992
11. OTUBAH, Grace Ifeoma
email: gi.otuba@unizik.edu.ng
Phone: 0803 754 0485
12. NWEZEH, Edwin Chimezie
email: eddymez534@gmail.com
Phone:0803 790 9485
13. Dr.EZEKWE, Kenneth Chukwudi
email: kennethchukwudiezekwe@gmail.com
Phone: 0803 395 0633
14. NNAEMEKA, Chukwudi John
email: ikeanam26@gmail.com
Phone: 0803 376 8264
15. Dr. ERESIMADU, Festus Nnofu
email: ceciliaeresimadu@gmail.com
Phone: 0803 394 5014.
