Enugu community celebrates victory in land case

The thanksgiving service was held at the St. Paul Catholic Church, Eke before the crowd moved to the village square for the grand reception. The people glorified God for the judgement, which was delivered in the favour of the community.  The judgement is believed to have positively affected the lives of women in Enugu State […]

The thanksgiving service was held at the St. Paul Catholic Church, Eke before the crowd moved to the village square for the grand reception. The people glorified God for the judgement, which was delivered in the favour of the community.  
The judgement is believed to have positively affected the lives of women in Enugu State and Igboland in general, especially on issues about inheritance rights. The ceremony was organised by the Amankwo Eke Patriots.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the church service, president of the Amankwo Eke Patriots, Chief Ozo Uche Aloh, recalled that four years ago, the executive members of the Amankwo Eke Town Union gave out 20 hectares of the communal land to one Ozo Damian Ani, an Ibadan-based industrialist. According to the town union, the industrialist, who also hails from the community, was to site a branch of his factory there.
But the fact that the executive of the union failed to follow due process and stick to the letters of the union’s constitution, compelled one of the daughters of the community, Chief Loretta Aniagolu and members of the Amankwo Eke Patriots to challenge their action at the Enugu High Court.
“We didn’t have any other place to go than the court. It was just last two months, June 31, 2014 that we got judgement in our favour,” Chief Aloh said, adding: “As Christians we believe that we got justice because God was on our side. That is why we went to church to thank the Almighty God, after which we have come to the village square for the grand reception. Chief Loretta Aniagolu is our sister, a mother and a friend.”
Appealing to members of the community to unite and love one another he said: “We should be one. We should love ourselves and always use due process in anything we are doing. We should follow our constitution in whatever we are doing. If we do the right thing there will be peace and harmony in this community. We love our community and we want peace.”
Also speaking to journalists during the reception, Chief Aniagolu, who is also a notable politician and industrialist, said: “The court case has brought out the truth in the whole thing. Of course this is the 21st century, so we cannot allow somebody to come in and become a tyrant in a place like this.
“In our little community we have had people of success, those who had become international names such as the former Justice of the International Court of Appeal, the late Justice Dadi Onyeama, Justice of the Supreme Court, the late Justice Anthony Nnaemezie Aniagolu, and they didn’t annex the town. Why would we then allow a simple businessman who has made a little bit of money to come and annex our town in this 21st century?”
On the aspect of the judgement that has changed the status of women in matters of inheritance, Chief Aniagolu said:  “The judge gave an extensive ruling that has changed the circumstances of women in the South-East. His judgement has affected the issue of inheritance where women cannot inherit properties. According to the judge, the Nigerian constitution has dictated that both men and women are equal in the eyes of the constitution.”