Enugu probes ‘sale of defunct NCC land’

Enugu State has constituted a commission of enquiry into alleged sale of land belonging to the defunct Nigerian Coal Corporation (NCC) by the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
Inaugurating the commission in Enugu, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi said the measure followed agitation and restiveness among host communities over the sale of such land.
He said the action was in the interest of residents and other stakeholders.
“The government decided to set up the commission of enquiry to look into the sale and alienation of the said land and other matters incidental to it in the interest of all,” Ugwuanyi said.
He mentioned the terms of reference to include identification and collation of land granted to the defunct NCC by host communities for station and colliery purposes.
The governor empowered the commission to identify land or landed property granted to the NCC by their host communities, which had become subject of sale, lease or grant or disposed of.
He said the purposes for which the affected land had been alienated and the motive should be identified.
Ugwuanyi urged the commission to ascertain if the persons or authorities to whom the plots of land were alienated to complied with the extant land planning laws.
“The committee has three months to complete the assignment and submit its reports,” he said.
The Chairman of the commission, Justice Kingsley Udeh (retd), thanked the governor for finding them worthy to serve the state in such capacity.
He said the commission was made up of tested professionals.
“The job is onerous and challenging, but we shall not let the state down.
“We shall do the job with all sense of duty so that the restiveness will be addressed in the host communities,” Udeh said.