The people of Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have thrown their weight behind the acquisition of more land for the expansion of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Science (DUFUHS) in the community.
In a communiqué signed by leaders of the host community, including HRH Lazarus Umahi, Chief Shedrack Onu, and Chief Odi Nicholas Enyi, the community stated that the expansion of the university was a collective agreement endorsed by the Uburu Traditional Rulers Council.
The community has absolved the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, of land grabbing allegations in the expansion process and dismissed a petition against him by some individuals in the area. The leaders described the use of the community name in the petition as unacceptable and warned against further use of the Uburu name by the petitioners, who they claimed did not have the best interests of the area at heart.
According to the community, the expansion of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHSU) is a collective initiative conceived and endorsed by the Uburu Traditional Council. The council, chaired by HRH Eze (Dr.) Lazarus Umahi Nweze, declared that Sen. Umahi is fully exonerated of all allegations regarding the land processes.
The DUFUHSU land expansion committee, led by Coordinator Dr. Umezurike Daniel and Secretary Mr. Odi Nicholas Enyi, provided a detailed rejoinder to set the record straight. The committee explained that the university's governing council had formally requested additional land for expansion, as the institution currently occupies less than 20 hectares.
The committee outlined its transparent and inclusive terms of reference, which included conducting community-wide awareness, identifying and engaging affected landowners, obtaining consent and signatures from all affected families, and facilitating compensation for every verified landowner. All these steps were duly followed, and the committee's work covered 29 identified landowners, all of whom received compensation and gave written consent.
The community vehemently condemned the actions of a few individuals who sought to exploit the name of Umuchima village to foment division and tarnish the hard-earned reputation of Sen. David Umahi. "All community groups affirmed their total support for the DUFUHSU expansion as a vital community project that has brought pride, jobs, and sustainable progress," the community stated.
Post a Comment