Charles Ogbu Clarifies Viral Video Of Alleged Malnutrition In An Illegal Settlement In Enugu

Charles Ogbu, after a fact-finding mission, states the true position of things concerning the mischievous viral recorded video of illegal occupants of Rev. Fr. Edeh’s landed property at Ugba Edo ogori, amorji nkubo Nike, Enugu East L.G.A, majorly indigenes of Ebonyi State.

Taking his findings to social media, Ogbu wrote: “Few days ago, I was repeatedly tagged to a viral video recorded by Lucky Udu and Agbalanze Bube in a place called Ugba edo ogori, amorji nkubo Nike, Enugu East L.G.A. The video shows a people living in subhuman condition. No source of water, no medical facility, so many people falling sick and going blind and children showing signs of kwashi0rk0r, marasmus etc. (I will repost the video in the comment section for those yet to watch it) Let me specially thank Agbalanze who has consistently been doing charity work there for over 3 years now.

So two days ago, Ikem Okuhu , Ken Eze and myself went to the said settlement to do some digging as to why a people would live in that condition in the 21st century 2022. It bears stating that I have visited this particular location multiple times in the past, so seeing that their condition has gone worse rather than better, I was personally taken aback.

While we were there, a team from RedAid Nigeria and Enugu state ministry of health came on an assessment visit and together, we held an interactive session with the people and toured the whole settlement. According to the people themselves, the land which is a stone throw from Caritas University, belongs to reverend Father Edeh who owns Caritas. The Youth leader told us that father Edeh bought the land from one Igwe R.C Ani many decades ago and allowed them stay there because some of them are employed in Caritas and that they have been repeatedly told by the priest himself that they would be required to vacate the place when he (the priest) is ready to use it as it was never meant to be a residential area.

Mr. Ikem, Ken and myself later visited Caritas University to verify what we’ve been told by the people. At Caritas, we were told the leadership was in a meeting and couldn’t see us. Yesterday, someone from the university reached out to me and confirmed that indeed,the place belongs to father Edeh and was never meant to be a residential area and that the only reason the people are allowed to stay there is because the owner is not yet ready to use it.

In a nutshell, no one, not an individual, not a group, not even the government can embark on any project there without the permission of the owner. The highest help anyone can render to the people now is medical assistance which RedAid Nigeria is currently doing. In fact, right there and then, RedAid took the boy in the 4th photo with them for emergency medical attention and they are currently mobilizing for a massive medical outreach in the community with a team of about 20 medical professionals. Problem is, so many people in that settlement are coming down with different ailments like swollen legs etc and doctors believe the ailments may not be unconnected with the very dirty source of water they are drinking. Check the 3rd photo for their only source of water. So regardless of how much medical help anyone gives them, as long as the likely source of their ailments (source of water) is not tackled head-on, it might be likened to pouring water at the back of the duck. And this is the point where I express my opinion on this.

In 2019, I was in Nkomoro Onugba in the same Nike with Precious Anagwu and Clinton Umeh where there was a slightly similar situation. I came home and personally took up the matter with senator Gilbert Nnaji who was just about leaving the senate then. After back and forth with a little touch of vawolence, the senator built a health center for them. In this case, I cannot reasonably task the political actors with intervention here because anyone coming here to build anything tangible on a private property will just be looking for trouble.

The good priest, father Edeh who owns the land is from the same town as myself. He is a well known philanthropist and kind hearted man. Allowing these people stay in that place is noble. Employing some of them is a commendable gesture. No one can force a private individual to convert his legally acquired property into a residential area. Having said this, now here is the other side of this; These people are currently living in a condition even a rat should not be allowed to live in. Touring the whole area, my sense of humanity was brutally and mercilessly assaulted. No one, I repeat, no one should be allowed to live the way these people are currently living. I don’t even want to talk about the plight of the young girls there.

In my humble view, the good priest should either go all out to make this settlement conducive for these people if he intends to allow them continue to stay there or he should ask them to leave since they all have villages they come from (some of them told us they do travel home). This would be more dignifying. If a PERMANENT SOLUTION is not found, that settlement risks having a massive outbreak of disease sooner than later.”

Daily News Reporters