Fear grips residents of Anambra’s largest estate as host community re-channels river

By Vincent Ujumadu

There are fears that the high profile Hill View Housing Estate, Nkwele Ezunaka in Oyi local government area of Anambra State, might be flooded during the coming rainy season if the host community continues with the ongoing channelization of Ezu and Oja rivers in the area.

The estate, which was acquired in 2005, was developed by a private property developer, Master Holdings, and it is 95%completed.

The host community was paid compensation and parcels of land allocated to it, but surprisingly, the people are currently re- channeling the rivers to create more plots of land around people’s houses.

In the process, some fences have been pulled down, such that the residents can no longer access their homes.

Although the community had earlier applied for boundary adjustment through its lawyer, the state government, through the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation, urged it to wait for the private developer to complete its work, but the people went ahead to continue the exercise.

Managing Director of the state Housing Development Corporation, Chief Chike Anyaonu, wondered why the community should embark on such illegal exercise after government directive.

Conducting reporters round the estate, Anyaonu ordered that no further work should take place there.

“We’ve asked for development partner to sign off so that the management of the estate will be taken over by the state government through the Anambra State Housing Development Corporation.

“But so many ugly things have been happening here and we have been trying to manage them as much as we could. Some people from the host community have embarked on activities capable of damaging the ecosystem of the estate by re -channeling the drainage system along the Ezu and Okay river.

“We have ordered them stop until we resolve all issues relating to this estate. We intend to establish a play ground , build hospitals and schools and what the host community is doing may disrupt these projects.

“Governor Soludo is providing free education up to senior secondary and the children of those living in this estate have to send them to school.”

A member of the Eziubulu fanily , who are the original owners of the said what the community is doing is outside the area acquired by government.

He, however, assured that further action will be suspended until issues were sorted out with the Housing Corporation.

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