Workers in Enugu State have reacted to the resignation of the Commissioner for Lands, Victor Nnam, declaring he must face justice.
This was contained in a statement by the organised labour signed by Virginus Nwobodo and Ben Asogwa of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Enugu State Councils, respectively.
Nnam resigned his appointment at the weekend.
Reacting to the development, the workers said the reasons he gave were far from the truth, claiming he was already under investigation and was trying to escape the long arm of the law.
They said in the statement: “The ministry of lands under the former commissioner revoked the land belonging to members of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE) Enugu State, re-parcelled the land and consequently re-allocated same to another set of owners. All the local government workers affected by this action are still counting their losses.
“The commissioner also revoked plots of land belonging to a body of health workers in ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Enugu (mostly medical doctors) and all attempts to recover the property have repeatedly been truncated by the former commissioner and his team.
“The ministry under the former commissioner has made a lot of residents, including workers, to lose the plots of land they bought with their hard earned and lean income.
“Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Enugu State Councils, under the chairmanship of Nwobodo and Asogwa, respectively, expressed disappointment on the level of decay in the ministry and plead with the Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi to ensure the next person to occupy the office must be humble, approachable, Godly and law-abiding in the discharge of his duties. The people of Enugu State cannot afford to work with another arrogant and unfriendly commissioner in the ministry.”
Similarly, NULGE, in a statement by its president in the State, Kenneth Ugwueze, urged the security agencies to conclude ongoing investigations on the activities of the former commissioner and ensure his trial.
“As a responsible and responsive union, we controlled the anger of our members who were ready for showdown considering the current fragile security environment and resorted to a civil approach through a report to the security agencies in the state…
“While the security agencies were still investigating and making their preliminary reports, the commissioner hurriedly tendered his resignation letter to avert his sack since his guilty conscience was already staring him in the face, claiming to be in hospital.
“It is ridiculous for the commissioner to write such a letter of resignation when investigation is ongoing and those his senior officers were only redeployed to give way for proper investigation of his ministry which has been on public domain, including but not limited to several invitations by the state House of Assembly.
“We, therefore, cry out that the investigation by the security agencies be concluded so that justice will be done.”
