-As Orlu Residents Commend Recovery Committee
The former Commissioner for Works in Imo State, Mr. Uchebest Mbanaso, who served under the administration of former Governor , Rochas Okorocha has again come under public scrutiny over allegations of forceful and fraudulent acquisition of landed properties in Orlu.
The renewed attention follows the ongoing efforts of the Chairman of Orlu Local Government Area, Hon. Chris Mbarie, to recover government-owned properties as well as private lands allegedly taken over unlawfully by individuals.
It will be recalled that the Mbarie administration last year constituted a Land Recovery Committee headed by Hon. Chinonso Akwaete with the mandate to identify and recover government assets and private properties allegedly acquired illegally or occupied without due process.
The initiative has continued to receive commendation from many residents of Orlu, who describe it as a long-overdue intervention aimed at restoring justice, protecting property rights, and strengthening public confidence in the rule of law. While some believe the exercise should have commenced much earlier, they maintain that it is “better late than never.”
Several individuals who claim to have been victims of alleged land grabbing expressed appreciation to the committee for what they described as its commitment to ensuring that justice is served.
Among those who spoke to this reporter were members of the Gogo family, who alleged that Mr. Mbanaso forcefully displaced them from their ancestral home located at Owus Avenue, Orlu.
According to them, the property was subsequently converted into the site of a five-star hotel project allegedly owned by the former commissioner.
Another family, represented by a man who identified himself simply as Anokwute, alleged that Mr. Mbanaso took over his late father’s filling station under the pretext of developing it into a state owned mega fuel station. He claimed that the project eventually became a privately owned filling station instead.
The affected families appealed to the Land Recovery Committee to conduct a thorough investigation into their cases and ensure that justice is done in accordance with the law.
A sourced who pleaded anonymity told this reporter that Mbanaso has rushed to court to stop recovery of all the lands he fraudulently acquired from Orlu people.He added that,”Mbanaso who never respected any court order when he held sway as Mayor of Orlu zone and Commissioner for works is now in court for court to protect his iligalities”.
As of the time of filing this report, Mr. Uchebest Mbanaso had not publicly responded to the allegations. Efforts to obtain his reaction were unsuccessful.
