Obey Subsisting Court Order, Stop encroaching In Our land, Chelsea Group Tells Chukwuebuka Obi 

By Anyi Lemchi

The General Overseer/ Founder of Zion Gate Ministries, Evangelist Chukwuebuka Obi has been directed to obey Subsisting Court Order in respect to the parcel of land he is currently building his Church at Ngor Okpala LGA of Imo State.

The lead Counsel to Chelsea Group Limited, Rex Erameh Esq who gave the directive while briefing Journalists in Owerri on 14th August,2024, pointed out that there is Subsisting Court injunction on the land Evangelist Chukwuebuka Obi is building his Church, adding that as a man of God, Evangelist Chukwuebuka Obi should obey Court Order.

Barr Erameh maintained that the said land was duely allocated to Imo-Chelsea Industrial Park Limited under a Public Private Partnership Agreement and the Imo State Government, to develop an Industrial Park/Hub, known as the Imo/Chelsea Industrial Park

According to Barr Rex Erameh, “It will interest you to know, that this matter is currently pending at the Imo State High Court, Owerri in Suit No. HOW/773/2024.”

“Ebuka Obi, as I speak, is currently clearing a massive portion of the land, with the intention  of putting up  a building structure for his church (contrary to the purpose for which the land was allocated to Imo-Chelsea Industrial Park Limited, which is for the  development/construction of an Industrial Park) and also, in disobedience of a pending matter and an injunction on the land.”

“The Defendants in the above suit are, the Imo State Government as the 1st and 2nd Defendants, the respective Heads of the four Autonomous Communities that make up the Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, known as the Eze, as the 3rd to the 6th Defendants, Mr. Sopuruchi Ukuoma the 7th Defendant and Mr Chukwuebuka Obi, the Founder and General Overseer of the Zion Gate Ministries, as the 8th Defendant.”

“My Client, the 1st Plaintiff, entered into a Public Private Partnership Agreement with the Imo State Government, for the acquisition of an industrial Park/Hub, known as the Imo/Chelsea Industrial Park which is already an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) covering about 2,000 (Two Thousand) hectares of land, aimed at the creation of employment and job opportunities for Imo State indigenes and Nigerians at large.”

“Based on the said Public Private Partnership Agreement entered into with my Client and the Imo State Government, my client went ahead to apply for and was allocated a parcel of land, covering about 2,000 (Two Thousand) hectares of land, On the strength of the allocation, my client paid the sum of N200, 000, 000. 00 (Two Hundred Million Naira) only to the Imo State Government as compensation for the indigenes of the four Autonomous Communities bordering Ezeama, Ntu, Amala and Ikem which is now covered by a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Imo State Government and also, equally covered the premium fees for the perfection of title documents in respect of the said parcel of land.”

“My client has approached the court amongst other reliefs, that based on the Public Private Partnership Agreement which was entered into with the Imo State Government, which resulted in the formation of Imo/Chelsea Industrial Park Limited of which my Client has controlling shares, to hold that it has vested interest to protect over and above the entire parcel of land, of which compensation had been duly paid for.”

“As such, none of the Defendants is allowed to either dispose of, tamper with, build upon, or deal with the land in any other manner contrary to what the Public Private Partnership is for, which is to develop and build an Industrial Park/Hub for the economic/commercial development of the state.”

“All parties have been restrained but Ebuka Obi is still building his church on the land and intends to conclude the church’s prayers and fasting with a crusade on the land in a couple of days from now.”

“This attitude of acting with impunity and flouting court orders is not befitting of a clergyman. I thereby call on him to emulate the teachings of Christ and obey constituted authority such as the subsisting court order.”

“In light of the facts stated above, I hereby call on all the Defendants, especially Ebuka Obi, to discontinue any form of activity on the parcel of land in question, which is already a subject of litigation, pending before the Imo State High Court 6, Owerri.”

“Also, and most importantly, to note that there is an injunction restraining all parties from carrying out any form of activity on the parcel of land, pending the final determination of the suit.”

“Furthermore, we are reliably informed that on Wednesday, some youths within the community who are bent on ensuring that they benefit from the economic development which the Industrial Park will provide, have taken over the land to protect it from been further encroached upon by members of the Ebuka Obi’s church, with respect to the building/construction currently going on there. This is likely to degenerate into chaos, as from what we have gathered, Ebuka Obi is planning to conclude the church’s 100 days prayer and fasting spiritual exercise on the same land.”

“We use this medium to immediately call on the IGP to wade into this matter before it degenerates further, especially as there is a subsisting court Order of injunction.”