By Ezeakukwu Emmanuel Nsoedo
Following the loss of Nnewi town over its claims that the Nnewi Triangle remains the bona-fide property of the town, the Anambra State government has moved in to assert her authority over the said piece of land.
You will recall that the State government acquired the property when it pleaded Overriding Public Interest to the chagrin of the people. The acquisition took many stakeholders by surprise, while significant few were in the know.
To make the issue combustible in nature, was the construction of a gigantic shopping mall at the site. The construction irked some members of the community led by the late Senator Onyeabo Obi and Chief Mbadiwe Okongwu to commence a court action against the state government.
The main issue besides the claim that the government acquired the land without due process, the state government allocated the same piece of land to a group of business men who initiated construction of a shopping center there.
The state government, following the defeat of Nnewi at the high court, moved in and cleared squatters last evening being July 14th, 2023. The swift move by the State Government appeared to have caught many by surprise as there was panic here and there.
Perhaps, the swift move by the state may have been to discourage the town from taking the matter to the Appellate Court on appeal.