Resignation of Enugu Commissioner Causes Upheaval

Despite what appears to be a voluntary resignation, Dr. Victor Nnam, former Commissioner of Lands and Urban Development in Enugu State, has been heavily criticized by groups and individuals for being arrogant, unfriendly, and corrupt, among other things.

Some government agencies, organized labor unions, and others have criticized the former commissioner, who resigned his position in a letter dated October 29, 2021, in response to the news of his resignation.
The Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, ESUT-TH, organized labor groups such as the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), the Trade Union Council, (TUC), the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE), a former local government chairman in the state, and others have reportedly described the former Commissioner as arrogant and unfriendly.

“Nnam should bury his head in shame and seek God’s forgiveness in all the land scams he allegedly committed that culminated in his forced resignation,” according to NULGE officials in Enugu state. The Labour Union, on the other hand, insisted that the investigation by security agencies into Nnam’s alleged takeover of the Union’s developed plot in Independence Layout Enugu be completed conclusively and that appropriate measures be taken.

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NULGE, through its State President, Comrade Kenneth Ugwueze, reacted to Nnam’s sudden resignation by saying the union was still skeptical that Nnam, who allegedly tormented NULGE using land grabbing agents and refused to listen to its cries, would write a resignation letter using the words ‘diligently’ and ‘Conscience.’

“If the aforementioned letter truly came from him, he should investigate the true meaning of diligent, which may also be referring to a guilty conscience.”

According to Ugwueze, the former administration of Governor Sullivan Iheanacho Chime allotted NULGE a plot of land in Independence Layout, Enugu, alongside other professional bodies such as the Nigeria Society of Engineering, Enugu State Branch, and a few individuals, in 2012, for the construction of its permanent State secretariat, which also serves as the zonal office for the South East.

“We have had ownership of the land for many years, with significant work being done on it, until recently (July 2021) when the land grabbing agent of the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development allegedly appeared, claiming ownership of all the lands belonging to Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Society of Engineering, and two other individuals (with erected buildings) without any prior notice.”

“We wrote to Enugu State Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, pleading for assistance, as the governor is also aware of our ownership of the land.” While the security agencies were still investigating and preparing preliminary reports, the Commissioner hurriedly tendered his resignation letter to avoid being fired because his guilty conscience was staring him down, claiming to be in the hospital for some time.

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‘If grabbing people’s land without due process is diligent work done by his affected officers and his version of ‘World Best Practices in Land Administration,’ then he should blame himself for the act and seek forgiveness from God and the many groups and individuals he has subjected to untold hardship and dehumanisation through his “Diligence.”

“It is absurd for the former Commissioner to write such a letter of resignation when the investigation is still ongoing and those his senior officers were only redeployed to allow for proper investigation of his Ministry, which has been in the public domain, including but not limited to several invitations by the Enugu State House of Assembly.” “As a result, we demand that the investigation by the security agencies be completed so that justice can be served,” Ugwueze demanded.

Similarly, Mr. Chukwudi Ezinwa, a former Chairman of Ezeagu Local Government Area in Enugu State, had raised concerns long before the Commissioner threw in the towel. Ezinwa accused Nnam of failing to act diligently in his capacity as Commissioner in charge of his Ministry in an alleged brazen act of corruption and fraudulent activities of his Heads of Department, particularly as contained in a petition dated 25/5/2021 brought by him with the expectation that Nnam would set up a panel of inquiry or committee to look into his complaint involving the de jure deprivation of his property, Plot 318, New GRA, Trans – Ekulu, Enugu.”

“Prior to the petition dated May 25, 2021, and while still in office, I had instructed my lawyers to write to the Commissioner in respect of my missing file and land documents at the Ministry of Lands, but none of the petitions saw the light of day as my land documents and all letters written to the Ministry were claimed and actually found to be missing,” Ezinwa explained.

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“This was ostensibly orchestrated by a female Director who was instrumental in my ordeal and whose relative with the same surname was discovered to have been issued with a Certificate of Occupancy in 2014 over a property I purchased from one Prince Onyeka Onyia in 2008.” In 2006, the said Prince Onyeka Onyia was granted Allocation of the said Plot 318, New GRA.

“However, prior to my transaction with Prince Onyeka Onyia, I conducted a search at the Lands Registry and discovered that the Allocation was genuine and the land was free of encumbrances.”

“Following that, I fenced the property and installed a gate, and built a 4-bedroom bungalow, a gate man’s house, and a fishpond on the property that has remained uncontested to this day.”

“The final straw was when I decided to apply for the Certificate of Occupancy of the property and discovered, to my utter surprise and shock, that they had altered every document pertaining to the property and labeled FAKE.”

“So, my concern is how the Certificate of Occupancy was issued to one Jimmy Ugwu without the due process of visiting the property to see the level of development made by me, and who gave consent for the Certificate of Occupancy to be given to Jimmy Ugwu, etc.” These and other concerns were raised in my petition to the Commissioner, who refused to conduct an investigation to solve the mystery, which did not sit well with me.\

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“The Commissioner’s failure to act diligently on my complaint about the unscrupulous, unwholesome, corrupt, and fraudulent activities of his top staff should be viewed as either a pretentious weakness or veiled connivance and collusion with such staff.” It’s no surprise that the Commissioner became uneasy and resigned quickly, citing the Governor’s removal of his professional HODs. “Are they indeed professional HODs, or are they not professional corrupt practitioners?”

“The embattled ex-Commissioner claimed that Plot 318 New GRA was assigned to one Jimmy Ugwu on November 14, 1995, and that he received C of O on January 7, 2014. For those with keen eyes, the administration of Governor Chimaraoke Nnamani, which took office in 1999, carved out New GRA. Despite this, the land was allotted in 1995.

He claimed that “The C of O” was issued 19 years later, from 1995 to 2014. Who is deceiving whom? Meanwhile, in 2008, I took possession of the Virgin Land. The commissioner also lied about Jimmy Ugwu’s development of the land. This is a piece of land that I developed and still own. Who exactly is Jimmy Ugwu? Our investigation reveals that there is no one like that. And, if he exists, why hasn’t he shown his face in all of this?”

Dr. Josef Umunnakwe Onoh, Chairman of Enugu Municipal Development Authority, alleged abuse of office, land racketeering, illegal subdivision, nepotism, and acts detrimental to the ministry of lands and the Enugu State government in a strongly worded letter of complaint also sent to the Governor by the son of a former Governor of Enugu State, Chief C.C. Onoh, titled “Before it is too late.”

He stated unequivocally that he has reservations about developments in the Ministry Lands under Dr. Nnam’s supervision, and he drew the attention of the government to what he described as “activities detrimental to the current administration being orchestrated by Commissioner Nnam.”

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He also claimed that he (Nnam) appointed a fraudulent crony as his personal assistant, who brazenly engaged in scouting, illegal subdivision, sale, and laundering of funds derived from the illegal sale of land on behalf of the Commissioner within Enugu Urban division, and that upon receipt of his letter, the Commissioner quickly backdated the termination paper of his Assistant after learning of their fraudulent activities.

Furthermore, in an earlier letter to the Commissioner dated March 12, 2029, Dr. Onoh claimed that he committed a criminal breach of trust, cheating and conspiracy, and abuse of office.

He requested information and clarifications regarding unauthorised “Carve out” plots within Enugu Metropolis, contract awards to companies in which the Commissioner has a vested interest, and the unwarranted sale of government land by his designated agents on Golf Avenue in Enugu.

Apparently unfazed, Nnam stated that he expected his abrupt resignation to ruffle feathers in a variety of Enugu State circles. The former commissioner stated in his defense of the NULGE case, “The issue of NULGE is already a matter that is in court with suit No E/658 in the High Court of Enugu State.” There are some things that cannot be said because it is already a subject of litigation, but NULGE, as far as I am aware from all of the documents in the ministry, does not have any title to the land.

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Nnam responded to Chukwudi Ezinwa’s claim, saying, “it is laughable that Ezinwa left his issue that started way back in the previous administration and accepted to be used by known land grabbers to look for ways to drag me.”

“Let me state unequivocally that I have no beef with the Governor. I only have issues with a few people in government making unfair decisions against innocent civil servants. “The governor is still my boss, and I will be eternally grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to serve,” he added.