The two neighbouring communities of Onitsha and Nkwellezunka are set for a bloodbath following disputes over ownership of a large expanse of land in the area.

Trouble started in December last year when members of Nkwellezunka town union embarked on a protest along the popular 33 road to Onitsha, wiping off sign posts bearing Onitsha and replacing them with Nkwellezunaka.

They contended that the Nkwellezunaka Onitsha 33 road axis belong to their community and not Onitsha people.

But some irate youths alleged to be from Onitsha stormed the area in a reprisal attack and burnt down the Nkwellezunaka vigilante office as well as Hilux security vehicle belonging to the security outfit.

Speaking with reporters at his country home in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, the president general of the Nkwellezunaka, Chief Chris Eluemuno, warned that the community would not tolerate further actions, adding that the land belongs to the community.

“We do not want to pray for war and we are law-abiding people. But we cannot take kindly to the activities of a few individuals in Onitsha and we shall battle it legally and physically.”

Eluemuno recalled that Nkwellezunaka land was given to government in the past for overriding pubic interest, but that does not mean that the land now belongs to Onitsha town.

He lamented that the name, 33 road, is not correct, adding that it is Nkwellezunaka road, insisting that government establishment should not bear Onitsha as its location.The president general sighted government gazette, which stated that the area belongs to his town, adding that the Federal Government Girls College is not in Onitsha town but in Nkwellezunaka.

He contended that if not for the intervention of the State Security Services (SSS), the community would have stopped the conduct of 2010 governorship election and the voter registration, insisting that one electoral ward created by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is in Nkwellezunaka town and not in Onitsha. Eluemuno noted that the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, is aware of the fact that the area belongs to Nkwellezunaka as according to the president general the monarch had bought properties from the community even before becoming the Obi of Onitsha. Meanwhile, security operatives have been deployed to the trouble sport and major flash points in the area to avert a showdown


http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=28247

Was it proved that the alledged youths that burnt down the nkwelle town union office were really Onitsha Ado youths?Im asking cos im suspecting it to be the handiwork of Omata men,they are the ones buying lands crazily and erecting their "mansion-with-no-plan" kind of houses there.Ado youths are peaceful,besides its a known fact that 33 belongs to Nkwelezunaka.

igbo people and land dispute

it is really painful, that is why if u go to east u will find large expanse of undeveloped lands because the owners can't develope it but will not sale it to those that will develop them,

every community in igbo land wants to exercise its autonomy which is a barrier to development and urbanization/industrialization.

in Geography, there is what is called conurbation which means-- a large urban area created when neighboring towns spread into and merge with each other.

so it will be a crime if nkwelle becomes a surpub of onitsha?
so many popular cities in the world were created by merging smaller towns, that's how lagos and ebute-emeta were merged and lagos is now a big city and ebute-emeta still maintain its name and autonomy

i always wish that one day in future, the type of development that will happen in igbo land will be like such, drive from umuahia to aba to owerre without seeing undeveloped lands, drive from orlu to okigwe to oguta to oowerrre without seeing undeveloped lands the same thing with ornisha to awka to nnewi, nsukka to enugu to nkanu to agbani and abakaliki to afikpo to asaba and agbor without seeing undeveloped land rather what u will see is bautiful and well planed big magnificent edifice,

it is possible, lets stop this selfishness,

nwaigbo_mg:

igbo people and land dispute

it is really painful, that is why if u go to east u will find large expanse of undeveloped lands because the owners can't develope it but will not sale it to those that will develop them,

every community in igbo land wants to exercise its autonomy which is a barrier to development and urbanization/industrialization.

in Geography, there is what is called conurbation which means-- a large urban area created when neighboring towns spread into and merge with each other.

so it will be a crime if nkwelle becomes a surpub of onitsha?
so many popular cities in the world were created by merging smaller towns, that's how lagos and ebute-emeta were merged and lagos is now a big city and ebute-emeta still maintain its name and autonomy

i always wish that one day in future, the type of development that will happen in igbo land will be like such, drive from umuahia to aba to owerre without seeing undeveloped lands, drive from orlu to okigwe to oguta to oowerrre without seeing undeveloped lands the same thing with ornisha to awka to nnewi, nsukka to enugu to nkanu to agbani and abakaliki to afikpo to asaba and agbor without seeing undeveloped land rather what u will see is bautiful and well planed big magnificent edifice,

it is possible, lets stop this selfishness,

food for thought.

I think this issue is prevalent only around Onitsha axis.Nkpor,Obosi,Oba and Nkwellezunka don't really have land dispute with Onitsha but issue of recognition.You cannot build a house in Nkpor and write your address as Onitsha.They prefer being recognised as separate towns even though they form one urban area.

The case in Aba is very different because all the towns around are Ngwa and accepted the name.Ehere,Ariaria,Umuola,Osisioma,Uratta,Alaoji,Ovom and Ekeakpara are all different towns in different LGAs that got assimilated but accepted Aba.

Abagworo:

I think this issue is prevalent only around Onitsha axis.Nkpor,Obosi,Oba and Nkwellezunka don't really have land dispute with Onitsha but issue of recognition.You cannot build a house in Nkpor and write your address as Onitsha.They prefer being recognised as separate towns even though they form one urban area.

The case in Aba is very different because all the towns around are Ngwa and accepted the name.Ehere,Ariaria,Umuola,Osisioma,Uratta,Alaoji,Ovom and Ekeakpara are all different towns in different LGAs that got assimilated but accepted Aba.

nice explanation