The former Governor of Ebonyi state, Chief Martin Nwanchor Elechi has called for a peaceful resettlement and compensation of the land owners still residing within the campus of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, for the overall development of the university and its host communities.
Elechi made the call yesterday when the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Daniel Nwachukwu, led members of the university management on a courtesy call at his residence, when the Vice-Chancellor sought the intervention of the former Governor in resolving the issue of original landowners residing within the university’s premises.
Prof. Nwachukwu, made the move as part of his administration’s efforts to create room for a peaceful and mutual-benefitting relationship with the university’s host communities, through dialogue and consultation for the overall development of the university.
Since assuming office, the Vice-Chancellor has embarked on consultations with relevant stakeholders on the issue, stressing the need for a mutually acceptable arrangement for the relocation of the original landowners. The engagement became necessary because the continued presence of the occupants within of the university’s campus has implications for the institution’s expansion and development.
His consultation with Chief Elechi was therefore aimed at leveraging the former governor’s experience, influence and knowledge of the state to facilitate discussions with the present Governor, RT Hon. Bldr. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru on how the affected landowners could be relocated in a peaceful and acceptable manner.
He explained that the university was not seeking a confrontational approach to the matter, but rather a solution that would take into consideration the interests of the affected landowners while also enabling the institution to utilize its land for further infrastructural development, adding that stakeholder engagement remained central to his administration’s approach to resolving issues affecting the university and its host communities.
Responding, the former Governor expressed appreciation for the opportunity to reflect on the period, stressing that his administration made deliberate efforts to promote rural development and secure land for public projects while balancing the interest of the people who owned the land, even as he promised to reach out to the Ebonyi State Governor in resolving the issue amicably.
The engagement with Chief Elechi forms part of the broader efforts by the Nwachukwu administration to strengthen cordial relationship with stakeholders and address community-related challenges through consultation and peaceful resolution.
