COURT RESUMES HEARING TODAY ON BISHOP UKWUOMA VS ORLU COMMUNITY
-As community insists, land not an outright gift
The lingering land dispute between Bishop Ukwuoma, the Orlu Catholic Diocese and Orlu Community resumed today at the High Court sitting in Owerri, presided over by Hon Justice Ama Eluwa.
Recall that the, Orlu Community initiated legal action against Bishop Ukwuoma, the Orlu Catholic church and the Imo State government over the forceful acquisition of the former premises of Imo State Polytechnic, Orlu Campus on the ground that the land ought to have been returned to the community when the polytechnic was relocated to Omuma by the governor, instead of giving it to the church.
The church on the other hand, is claiming that the community donated the land to the church. Hence the legal action.
A village Head in the community named Modestus Obi, who spoke to our reporter said, there was never a time the land in question was donated or given to the church in any guise. He noted that there was an agreement whereby the church was paying the community a certain amount until the government acquired the land. “When the government vacated the land, they unilaterally gave it to the church without the consent of the community as the original land owners. This is the crux of the matter.”
However, both parties are expected to adopt their briefs today.
