EHANLEN-UHIELE – Members of Ehanlen-Uhiele Community of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State have suspended sales of lands in the community pending the completion of assignment, by the Land Audit Committee set up to investigate issues concerning sales of lands in the community.
Three committees, including Constitutional Review Committee, Land Audit Committee and Finance Audit Committee have been set up in the community, with a three-month period to submit reports.
These were part of resolutions reached at the end of an enlarged community meeting, held at Ehanlen Primary School, which was chaired by the stand in Odiomwele of Ehanlen Community, Mr. Sylvester Ebohon.
The convener of the meeting, Pastor Charles Agbonkhehi explained that the meeting was convened to resolve issues that have bedeviled the community and caused disunity among community members.
He said the Land Audit Committee was set up to audit the entire plots of land in the community, to find out the ones that were sold legally or illegally, as well as find out whether the proceeds from the ones that were sold legally were genuinely paid into community’s pulse.
According to him, the Finance Audit Committee on the other hand, is to look into the accounts of community, to determine how much entered the accounts and the expenditures; while the Constitution Review Committee, is to review the constitution to guide proceedings during meetings.
He described the meeting as fruitful, enthusing that resolutions reach at the meeting had succeeded in dowsing the tensions created in the community, which divided the community into three warring groups.
“The Finance Audit Committee is to look into community account. Because, we have heard that the community account is empty. For instance, when the transformer was bad, it was bad for over six months. By the grace of God, few of us raised money to fix the transformer.
” It was then someone said the community has an account, and asked ‘can’t we drew money from the account to fix the transformer? ” it was then they said the custodians of the account said the account is empty. So we want to know how much entered the account and the expenditures.
” We have also resolved that henceforth, nobody should sell land in the community. Because if we don’t do that some people can quickly go and make sales, and that would jeopardize the efforts of the committee”, he explained.
The chairman of the Constitutional Review Committee, Mr. Mike Odiahi equally described the meeting as successful, adding the resolutions reached would help the development and progress of the community.
