By OLUKAYODE BABALOLA

Igwo Community Elites in Kokona Local Government Area of Nasarawa state has appealed to the state government to retrieve certificate of Right of Occupancy issued to Black Gem New Energy, a Chinese mining company.

Mr Oseshi Bitrus, Chairman of the association made this known at a meeting of community stakeholders held at Garaku, Kokona local government area of Nasarawa state on Wednesday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Igwo community Elites is an association of Igwo people in Agbadu, Agaza and Egbika villages of Kokona Local Government Area.

According to Bitrus, the company allegedly acquired 78 hectares of land without the community’s consent and also got R of O from the state government.

Bitrus claimed that the land was sold to the company without the consent of the community by one, Mr Emmanuel Omale, a Community Liaison Officer in the area who did not get consent of relevant authorities in the area.

He added that the community investigated the matter and discovered that the state government signed the R of O and gave it to the Chinese company.

“We need our leaders to assist us out of this problem, because a Chinese man cannot come from China and acquire our land illegally even with R of O,” he said.

Bitrus urged the government to cancel the certificate issued to the company for the sake of peace and unity.

“We asked the man who sold the land and he admitted. Then our village head told him to invite the Chinese man that illegally bought the land from him.

“As I am talking now, the man has not left the community and has not brought the Chinese man. For the sake of peace and unity, government should help us cancel the R of O,” he said.

The chairman then called on the Chinese company to vacate the community entirely to prevent escalation of tensions between the community youths and the Chinese company who has built a residential apartment in the area.

“Our demands are to maintain peace and unity within the community because the youths are already annoyed over the way the land was sold against our rules,” he said.

Another stakeholder in the community, Mr Mike John accused Emmanuel Omale of sabotaging the community’s efforts by selling a large portion of land to a Chinese mining company, which he is now claiming ownership.

“After discovering a beacon on the land, we found that the number on the beacon matched the number on the R of O and the company name was on the beacon. We questioned him and reported him to our traditional rulers for clarity.

“We felt it was unacceptable for someone to claim to have acquired land without the community’s consent; we allowed him to invest in our community, but acquiring such measure of our land,” he said.

He pointed out that the community decided to channel its grievances to the appropriate authority rather than take the laws into their hands by asking the youths to demolish the ongoing work on the land.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Nasarawa State House of Assembly Committee on Environment had visited the community in January to investigate the matter.

During the visit, the committee led by its chairman, Mohammed Omadefu assured the community of fairness and justice in the investigation and urged the community to maintain peace. (NAN)