Anambra Mayor bars church from turning govt property into money spinning venture
Mayor of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Anambra State, Hon.Emeka Orji has stopped further use of Primary School field in his domain by an Anglican church for money spinning venture.
He warned he would not fold his hands and watch state government property being encroached upon by land trespassers.
Speaking during an oversight visit of government properties within his domain, he accused Archdeacon Nweje church of using the field to collect #200 from each car that parks in the field without the money realized being remitted to state government.
He also frowned at the alleged claim of the health center therein as private property by the church and vowed to take over the health center stating that is government property.
“I will take over this place, then you can go and meet the bishop, tell him that the LG has taken over the place for the optimal usage, and no vehicle should be packed here any longer, for the pupils to have enough space for playing which is the purpose and for the patients to as well have easy access to the health center,” Orji vows.
The chairman after assessing the premises, found out that the pupils are still using pit toilet and pledged to build a modern one and also resuscitate the borehole which was damaged as a result of those cars parked there.
According to imppeccable inside sources the borehole which was constructed by the government and functional, was damaged by one of the people that parked his vehicle there, when the man hit the borehole with his vehicle booth and thereby damaged the sumor which resulted in the present problem
The sources recalled that when the former council chairman, Hon. Emeka Asoanya was there he he was at loggerhead with the church and the churched pledged to resuscitate it but never did and Asoanya left.
In a swift reaction when contacted, the resident priest told the chairman that, “I am under authority of the church, the bishop should be contacted because there was an agreement between the church and Hon Stella Oduah, she built the diagnosis center here and has promised to equip it.
“She had through the agents that built this, told us that after building, she would hand it over to our health institutions, the bishop and Stella Oduah are still discussing on the issue,” he disclosed.
The priest also denied that the borehole was completed, saying that it was not completed by the former TC Chairman, even as all equipments put in place yet the tap is not running.
The Secretary to the Local Government, Paul Onuachalla Esq frowned at the attitude of the priest saying , “This health center if functional going by the way the state government is working round the clock to activate all the primary health centers in the state, this priest will one day go there for his treatment or his family.
“This is for public use not the chairman’s, I don’t see why this total aggression, it is totally out of order.
In her words, Mrs Anokwute Celine, Officer in charge, OIC of Nweje Primary Health Center complained that they do have challenges on these cars being parked here as there is no space for them to play and urged the council boss to come to their rescue.
“This place is very spacious but has turned to car park, the very small remaining space cannot accommodate the pupils while playing, even those that parked cars here use our side as urinating spot, we always chase them away, even the children also defecate here, it is a very big challenge to us health wise.
“I’m pleading to the government to relocate this health care center to that acclaimed diagnosis center, you know that the community is the bedrock, they would benefit if we relocate,* she stated.
The Councillor representing Odoakpu ward 5 stated that, “The building was done by Hon.Stella Oduah for primary health center but the Reverend here was claiming it, he initially refused that a solar system would be installed here but after he made some calls in our presence to his colleagues, they came with policemen, after talking with him, he now allowed us to install the solar system and still insisted that it was built and given to the church by Hon.Stella Oduah but it is government property .
“We would recall that the Deputy Chairman Hon Onyebuchi Obi has earlier informed the priest about the issue but was fruitless.
“Those present included, Special Adviser to the Chairman on Political matters, Council Legal Adviser, Stanley Okafor Esq, Onitsha South Supervisor for health, Mrs Ebele Udodeme, the ward 5 members, among others.
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