GOVERNOR MBAH REPLACES UGWUANYI LOYALISTS WITH ALLIES IN COMPANY LINKED TO LAND RACKETEERING

GOVERNOR MBAH REPLACES UGWUANYI LOYALISTS WITH ALLIES IN COMPANY LINKED TO LAND RACKETEERING

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State has reportedly ousted appointees and close associates of former Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi from a private firm allegedly used as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for acquiring and reselling revoked landed property.

The firm, Coal City Eastern Extension Estate Alliance Limited, was incorporated in December 2021 and is said to be central to an ongoing land racketeering scheme targeting residents and investors.

According to findings, the privately run company now has close allies of Governor Mbah and top government officials as directors and shareholders.

On August 22, 2022, SaharaReporters exclusively reported how associates of then-Governor Ugwuanyi allegedly used a fictitious company to take over government-revoked properties and resell them for personal gain.

Further investigation reveals that several high-ranking officials involved in the scheme are protecting Governor Ugwuanyi from public scrutiny and potential liability. Sources told SaharaReporters that some of the governor’s allies had gone as far as inciting communal conflicts in areas where these lands have become highly valuable, using proxies to create chaos that would pave the way for a government takeover.

One insider explained that with rising inflation and a volatile financial market, many residents now prefer to invest in real estate rather than keep their money in banks—making property acquisition a growing target for manipulation.

“Unfortunately, many residents and investors have lost their life savings on account of the racketeering activities of government officials,” one of the sources said.

“The community will survey an estate and call for developers. After people have purchased property, the government officials will use their criminal proxies in such communities to initiate a crisis. After causing the crisis, they will write to the government, asking it to take over the layout/estate without minding investors and other Nigerians who have invested their life savings in purchasing property in those communities.

“Thereafter, the officials will exploit the authority of the governor in the Land Use Act and write the community through the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development that the government has taken over the property for the interest of peace and for overriding public interest.”

The source revealed that after revoking properties, the state government reallocates them to cronies through companies that act as estate developers. One such company, identified as part of the land racketeering scheme, is Coal City Eastern Extension Estate Alliance Limited.

An investigation by SaharaReporters uncovered that high-ranking government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Ortuanya Simon Uchenna; the Managing Director of the Enugu State Housing Corporation, Agu Chukwuemelie Lambert; Head of Service, Chukwuegbo Kenneth; Permanent Secretary of the State Civil Service, Robinson Ogbonna Odo; and Ikeyi James Onyeanwuna, who chaired Governor Ugwuanyi’s panel for reconciling revoked estate properties in the Ugwuaji communities, are founding directors of the company. Additionally, Mbah Ijeoma Oluchi, allegedly a relative of Governor Ugwuanyi, serves as the company’s Secretary.

Further investigation revealed that Coal City Eastern Extension Layout/Estate Alliance Limited was registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on December 29, 2021, under registration number RC: 1878141.

Shockingly, the company was allocated 278.94 hectares of land that had been revoked from investors over 10 months before its incorporation. This suggests that the company’s founders had been using a non-existent corporate entity to acquire revoked properties well before it was legally registered.

Further investigation into the status of Coal City Eastern Extension Estate Alliance Limited on April 10, 2025, at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) reveals that the company has been inherited by Governor Peter Mbah. His allies have now taken over as the company’s directors.

According to the latest status report, several former directors, including the former SSG, Prof. Ortuanya Simon Uchenna; Agu Chukwuemelie Lambert; Chukwuegbo Kenneth; Robinson Ogbonna Odo; and Mbah Ijeoma Oluchi, resigned on March 14, 2024.

However, as the CAC confirmed, Mr. Ikeyi James Onyeanwuna, who chaired Governor Ugwuanyi’s panel on the reconciliation of revoked estate properties in the Ugwuaji communities, remains an active director in the company.

In the current structure, Governor Mbah’s administration has appointed new directors to replace the former officials. The former SSG, Prof. Ortuanya Simon Uchenna, has been replaced by Governor Mbah’s SSG, Professor Onyia Chidebere Raphael. Agu Chukwuemelie Lambert is now replaced by the current Managing Director of Enugu State Housing Corporation, Asogwa Gerald Ugochukwu, while Chukwuegbo Kenneth has been replaced by the Commissioner for Housing and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Chukwunweike Martin Ogochukwu.

The latest share allocations show that SSG Professor Onyia Chidebere Raphael has been granted 300,000 ordinary shares, Ikeyi James Onyeanwuna has 250,000 shares, Asogwa Gerald Ugochukwu holds 200,000 shares, and Dr. Chukwunweike Martin Ogochukwu is allocated 125,000 shares. Additionally, Asogwa Gerald Ugochukwu has received an extra 25,000 shares.

Chukwunweike Martin Ogochukwu was also allocated an additional 100,000 shares in the company.

Despite holding various political and public service positions, all the individuals involved denied being politically exposed persons in their official status.

Meanwhile, the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) has launched an investigation into the former government officials who served under Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and were directors of the company.

In a letter dated August 15th, 2024, with reference number CCB/HQ/II&M/007/2287, the Chairman of the CCB requested the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the completed Assets Declaration Forms from the State Director of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Enugu State, for analysis.

The letter, signed by Gwimi S.P., Director of Intelligence, Investigation, and Monitoring, on behalf of the Chairman of CCB, was titled: ‘Investigation Activities: request for certified true copies of completed Assets Declaration Forms.’

“The Department is in receipt of a petition on alleged violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers and investigation into the allegations has commenced,” the letter partly read.

“Accordingly, you are to make available Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the completed Assets Declaration Forms of the under- listed Public Officers for analysis.

“Name of Public Officer: Simon Uchenna Ortuanya former SSG, Ikeji James Onyeanwuna, Chairman, Panel on Ugwuaji Land, Enugu State; Robinson Ogbonna Odo, Secretary, Panel on Ugwuaji Land Permanent Secretary Civil Service Commission, Enugu State; Chukwuemelie Lambert Agu, former MD, Enugu State Housing Development Corporation.”

In one of the documents obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, it was revealed that state officials are now disposing of the revoked properties of residents and investors through the Housing Development Corporation. A plot of land measuring 750sqm is being sold for N55 million, with the possibility of a price increase.

Efforts to reach the state government for comment were unsuccessful, as the SSG, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, did not answer his calls or respond to a text message seeking his comment at the time of filing this report.