By Chikaodi Chukwuleta

The Mayor of Idemmili North Local Government  Area of Anambra State,  Hon Stanley Nkwoka has expressed displeasure over the activities of touts collecting illegal money at  Amafor Bridge, Nkpor.

Making this known while speaking to newsmen in his office on Friday, Nkwoka, who stressed the need for people of the area to embrace peace, explained that he heard that certain people from  Amafor community were  protesting that somebody has taken over their land.

He recalled how he was invited to a meeting by ANSSIPA regarding  Business Link,  ANSSIPA and Amafu community sometime last year, adding that he heard that the three  parties had a concession  with the state to beautify and build a modern park under the bridge in 2016,  and that in 2019, somebody entered the park and took over the park which the government built under private partnership.

He noted that since local government election was held, management of markets and parks is the sole duty of the local government.

” I was invited in the meeting and it was dragged between December and January. The initial  MoU that was had, there was no provision for a CSR for the community so they included that in the agreement and forwarded  the letter to my office to take over Amafor Park and make sure that the local government gets their percentage, while Business Link that built the park, and the community as well get their percentages.

” I invited the  community and presented the letter  to them and i asked them any objection. They said they would like their children to be working there and i said fine, if they want their children to be working there, they should go back and present the issue to their people.  If there is any objection,  they should report back which they failed to report and i wrote and sealed the park. I said first that they should seize any operation so that we can do a proper renovation there for the management of the park but unfortunately, on 1st of April, what i saw was protest that somebody has taken over their land,” he said.”

The mayor added that the community is claiming that they have  a right of payment from Federal Ministry of Environment .

He noted that no federal government can grant a licence in a park anywhere and that he still made efforts to reach them while the protest was going on, which they refused, adding that it is his duty to protect lives and property in his local government.

According to him, the best he did was to use his security operatives and sealed the park for both parties not to have access to it until they come to stability and agreement instead of fighting since there are two parties  dragging the land; one is government and the other is individual.

Speaking on the argument that they have boys who are making a living from the park, Nkwoka advised them to key into the 1 Youth 2 Skills programme provided by the state government and within six months, they will be equipped  to make a positive living  from from it.

“Nobody is taking anybody’s land,” he said, and warned those parading themselves to desist from there, adding that henceforth, any Agboro found there operating illegally, collecting cash from people will be jailed since  the government of Soludo has banned cash collection.

He emphasised that touts  who have vowed not leave the place because they are working for people will cool  heads in jail if they persist.

 “Adverts have been placed in different radio stations  concerning sealing of the park on 1st of April to avoid people parking their vehicles there. They have to partner with the government if they wish.  It’s s a park between the government and Business Link. There are certain years Business Link can operate which is 10 years but they just operated three years,” he said.