Professor Charles Soludo

By Adanma Ebere

A passionate appeal has been made to Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, on the retrieval, validation and handing over of lands already paid for by some investors in the state.
In a Save Our Soul (SOS) appeal dated January 23, 2023, the investors stress that it is with a very heavily laden broken heart that they appeal to Governor Soludo to wade into the lingering matter with State Government, Ministry of Housing, and its agency/legal body/entity, AHOCOL/AHOCOL SAVINGS AND LOANS LIMITED, over lands purchased from the State Government, through them.
Between 2010 and 2013, Anambra State Government, through its Ministry of Housing, acting via its Agency/Legal Body AHOCOL advertised that it was developing estates totalling twenty-two(22) in number. The total number of plots summed up to Three thousand, seven hundred and twenty four(3,724) plots, or thereabouts, in its proposed Housing Estates in different areas, outlining the Awka Capital Territory. This is increasingly taking the coloration of a massive heist against the Anambra State Government and the unsuspecting citizens of Nigeria. The twenty two (22) housing estates are as listed thus:
1.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 1 : 700 plots.
2.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 2: 172 plots.
3.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase3: 86 plots
4.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 4: 108 plots
5.Ahocol Chukwuemeka H/E, Mgbakwu Phase 5: 70 plots
6&7.University Campus H/E, Ukwulu, Phase 1 and Phase 2, both: 200 plots
8.Udokamaka H/E, Isuaniocha: 178 plots
9.Chukwudolu H/E,Isuaniocha: 34 plots
10.Green H/E, Mgbakwu, PH.1:200 plots
11.” “. “. “. “. “. “, PH.2:20 plots
12.Ikemba Super Habitat H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 1: 82 plots
13. Ikemba Super Habitat H/E, Mgbakwu, Phase 2: 32 plots
14.Millennium H/E, Urum, Ph.1: 200 plots
15.” “. “. “. ‘ Urum, Ph.2: 80 plots
16.Aladinma Int. H/E, Isiagu: 450 plots
17.City Pride H/E, Isiagu: 500 plots
18.Ifedioranma H/E, Mgbakwu, PH.1: 190 plots
19.”. “. “. Mgbakwu, Ph2: 90 plots
20. Oriental H/E, Aguleri: 200 plots
21.Legacy H/E, Mgbakwu, Ph.1: 81 plots
22.”. “. “. ,Mgbakwu, Ph 2: 51 plots.

The total number of plots is a whopping Three thousand, seven hundred and twenty four (3, 724Nos) of plots, or thereabouts.
A good number of citizens of Nigeria reacted positively by investing in the said estates proposed and advertisedvfor development, by Anambra State Government, through its Ministry for Housing, and its agency/legal entity Ahocol by paying for the said lands on offer for the estates development.
Payments ranging from #385,000:00, to #720,000, or more, per plot of land, in these advertised/proposed estates for development, at Mgbakwu, and the other areas, were made. The breakdownbof the payments made per each plot as it related to Chukwuemeka Housing Estate, Phase 3, as were applicable to the other locations were as follows:-
I.) Application for a plot of land- #10,000
ii.) Payment for a plot of land- #180,000
iii.) Acceptance Fee – #10,000
iv.)Building Plan. – #100,000
v.)Survey Plan. – #45,000
vi.)Ground Rent. – #30,000
vii.)Power of Attorney. – #10,000
The same or different degrees of differences equally applied in all the proposed Housing Estates. After these payments, all the efforts made for the State Government to take the investors to the physical locations of the proposed estates, at Mgbakwu, and the other locations, to show the respective plots of lands for possession and development failed.
Not long after, the news spread that AHOCOL SAVINGS & LOANS LIMITED, the Legal Body/Entity, through which the State Government transacted the lands sales, has gone into receivership of the NDIC, for defaulting in paying its statutory fees to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Since then, the investments in the lands purchases entered into with Anambra State Government has been in jeopardy without the investors taking possession of the lands validly paid for and purchased.
The idea of the State-owned AHOCOL SAVINGS & LOANS LIMITED going into receivership throws up some salient issues which the investors strongly feel the new administration ought to look into as a continuum in political governance, including assets and liabilities.
The investors are pleading that the money paid to the State Government for the purchases of the lands,l through its Legal Entity falls into the category of IGR for the State Government. The money realised from all the Nigerian citizens who invested in the land purchases amounting to the neighborhood of #1,433,740,000:00(One billion, four hundred and thirty three Million, seven hundred and fourty thousand Naira), or even more, may not be into the coffers of the State Government. The investors are urging Governor Soludo to see that justice is done quickly in his cherished spirit of Solution is Here. The investors happen to be retirees who invested their all.
Hereunder are the petitioners with their bonafides:

1.Engr. UKAEGBU, Thankgod Ekene
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0803 549 5103

2. NWANGWU, Emmanuel
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0803 896 2844

3.Chief UBASHINACHI, Onyebuchkwu U.
email: chiefuba44gmail.com
Phone: 0803 324 0422

4.Chief EZEUDU, Gilbert
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0803 303 1673

5.NNABUGWU, Makodi Biereenu
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0808 024 3464

6.MADUOLOSI, Emmanuel O.
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0701 997 3382

7.EGWUONWU, Emmanuel Eme.
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0816 177 0420

8.Prof. IKEANYIBE, Okey
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0703 081 9757

9.Chief Sir ESOMONU, Martins N.
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0802 642 2563

10.Prof. NNABUDE, Peter C.
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0703 312 8992

11.OTUBAH, Grace Ifeoma
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0803 754 0485

12.NWEZEH, Edwin Chimezie
email: [email protected]
Phone:0803 790 9485

13.Dr.EZEKWE, Kenneth Chukwudi
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0803 395 0633

14.NNAEMEKA, Chukwudi John
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0803 376 8264

15.Dr. ERESIMADU, Festus Nnofu
email: [email protected]
Phone: 0803 394 5014.