…The Property Belongs To The Church – Priest
By Divine Ndukuba, Awka
Igwe Chidubem Iweka, the traditional ruler of Obosi community in Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State, has warned against fraudulent land deals in his domain.
Igwe Iweka who is also the Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Ruler Council, told newsmen on Thursday that Obosi community has zero tolerance for land grabbing or illicit business transaction capable of causing breakdown of law and order, and soiling the town’s image.
The warning was as a result of alleged inappropriate conduct of a Catholic Priest in the community, Rev. Fr. Jude Uchegbusi of “Olu Ndi Enuigwe Adoration Family Obosi”, maligning his name over his mediation on a land dispute between the priest and Mr Raphael Ojiribe, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Raphmaths Estates.
He urged the authorities of the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, to call the priest to order, to avoid crisis in Obosi community.
Igwe Iweka expressed worries that an ordained priest will lower himself, involving miscreants to threaten him and his cabinet members because they tried to arbitrate over the land dispute between the priest and the land developer.
Igwe Iweka said he had petitioned the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha and Metropolitan, Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke, against the priest, titled “Unchristian conduct and activities of Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi.
The Catholic Archbishop had earlier intervention, by delegating a team of senior church leaders to his palace, did not yield any positive result because the priest didn’t respect the far-reaching decisions and still causing trouble.
“The priest and his co-travelers have been defaming me and castigating my name because I tried to arbitrate in his case with Mr Ojiribe, should I be crucified for intervening in a matter in my community or telling the truth?
Reacting, Rev. Fr Uchegbusi, denied the allegations, and accused the Umuopi Family of using their youths to destroy Church’s property.
He said that Catholic Church acquired the land 15 years ago, but he is the one staying there to oversee its activities.
According to him, part of the land was acquired by the Federal Government to allow the construction of 2nd Niger Bridge. It has developed and the youths of Obosi felt that they can extort more money from me. In fact their plan is to eject us and resell the land.
They brought Ojiribe and sold part of the land to him just to use him to eject us with the backing of the traditional.
Meanwhile, the Umuopi Family in Ire Village, Obosi represented by her Chairman, Mr Kenechukwu Nwokolo and other principal members of the family have petitioned the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, Dicastero per il Clero, in the Vatican City, His Eminence Most Rev. (Cardinal ) Lazarus You Heung-Sik.
They also petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 13 Ukpo Zonal Police Headquarters in Anambra State against Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi.
In a petition by their lawyer, Mr Justus Uche Ijeoma’ titled “A case or criminal trespass to land, fraudulent dealing in land, attempt to incite murder, threat to life and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace by Rev. Fr. Jude Uchegbusi”.
The Umuopi family said that they sold part of their large expanse of land called Ugbo-Ngene Land of Umuopi Family Land in Ire Village Obosi to many developers including Rev. Fr. Jude Uchegbusi, where he pile his trade as “Olu Ndi Enuigwe Adoration Family Obosi, which they initially believed to be a genuine Christian fellowship centre run by the Catholic priest.
Trouble according to them started around 2017 when the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (FMWH) marked part of the piece of land acquired by the priest from them, for demolition as it falls under part of the road for the second Niger Bridge, which was being constructed at the time.
“To the knowledge of all, handsome compensation were paid to Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi, like every other person whose house or property was demolished in the course of the construction of the second Niger Bridge and other connecting developments by FMWH.
“After the whole gale of demolition, for which Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi, was duly compensated, he started encroaching, trespassing and entered into every piece of land available and blocked the common access road we the Umuopi Family created for use by all at the time the land was parcelated.
“In a shocking twist events, Rev. Fr. Uchegbusi, also started making adverse claims to the portions of land we sold to other people, like Prince Raphael Ojiribe, and other developers.
