In yet another strong move to reject the ongoing saga of establishing a Ruga settlement in Uzo-Uwani community of Enugu State, a body, made up of professionals who hail from Nimbo community called the Uzo-Uwani Professionals Association (UZPA) has expressed its strong opposition to the proposed ranch project in Nimbo community, Enugu State.
A statement released by its President Chinedum Odenyi, described in strong terms the move by the state government as “insensitive” and “abrasive”. UZPA stated that the move was an assault to the psyche of the people of Uzo-Uwani, who are predominantly crop farmers and timber merchants. They accused the Enugu State government under the leadership of Mr. Peter Mbah of treating Uzo-Uwani with levity, disdain and neglecting the development needs of the area.
The group recalled the massacre of scores of people in Nimbo by armed herdsmen in 2016, and wondered why the government would reward the perpetrators with a ranch in the same community. The group called on the government to immediately halt any further design and attempt to implement the ranch project in any part of Uzo-Uwani, and also urged the government to focus on tackling the insecurity and providing basic amenities for the people.
The group also appealed to the government to support the state police proposal by President Bola Tinubu. The statement said that Uzo-Uwani people will reject the ranch project and will not lend their support to any such design, as it debases their people and invokes the memory of inflicted sadism. The statement reads further, The people of Nimbo, and Uzo-Uwani in general have stoutly risen in unison in opposition to the proposal, reading a more sinister objective in the proposed project and calling on the government to stop any further exploration of the subject around the geographic entity of Uzo-Uwani LGA.
UZPA, having considered all the reactions on the issue, finds everything wrong with the proposal and calls on the Enugu State government to immediately halt any further design and attempt to implement the proposed ranch project in any part of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area.
