The 11 host communities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), have demanded the release of 2,200.999 hectares of land following a directive from the Federal Government’s inter-ministerial committee.
Communities affected include Avu, Obinze, Umuanunu, Umuoma, Ihiagwa Ancient Kingdom, Dindi Ihiagwa, Eziobodo, Eziokele, Okolochi, Emeabiam, and Obibi Ezena. They argue that the land is needed to accommodate their growing populations.
Speaking on Monday, the community’s attorney, Chief Sam Anokam, said the directive was the outcome of years of negotiations and legal battles. He explained that FUTO currently occupies 4,455.768 hectares allocated in 1986, with over 2,000 hectares lying unused.
Anokam noted that the inter-ministerial panel, comprising the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, had formally written to FUTO instructing it to excise the land. He accused the university of using security operatives to deny community access despite the order.
He dismissed FUTO’s position that only a presidential directive could compel compliance, citing Section 51(2) of the Land Use Act, which empowers the Minister of Housing and Urban Development to manage federal properties.
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