Gideon Arinze in Enugu

Ugwuto Community in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State has faulted claims by Enpower Energy Limited that there was a tripartite agreement on the disputed land between the state government, Enpower Energy Limited and Oildata Integrated Construction Company, which they claimed was signed in 2009.

Recall that the community had protested over allegations of land grabbing, accusing the company of using security forces to intimidate community members who dared to raise their voices.

Reacting to the allegations, through its legal representative, Ricky Agu, the company said that in the agreement, the Enugu State government intends to develop a private public sector partnership for the attraction of investment into Enugu.

However, addressing journalists yesterday in Enugu, a leader in the community, Emmanuel Agu, said that there was no such agreement, insisting that the community does not know the identities of Enpower and Oildata Integrated Construction Company.

“The agreement is only a figment of Lawyer Agu’s imagination. If government wants to acquire land there is a process,” he said.

The community also denied the allegation that the government had acquired the land and used it as its equity to attract investments into the state.

“The claim by  Agu that when operations start on the land that the joint venture will pay to the community 5 percent or whatever equity is due them is a scam,” he said adding that “Ugwuto community is not a co-owner of Enpower.”

Speaking further, he said: “Let us make it clear; we do not have issues with the state government. The Enpower Energy and Oildata integrated Construction Company are companies owned by Emeka Ene from Umuabi Udi, and we are calling on Governor Peter Mbah to intervene to save us from these scammers.”

He maintained that “there’s a plot by Enpower Energy to take over our land began as far back as 2019, “adding that although the issue is already in court, “the managing director of the company has continued to encroach on our land with impunity.”

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