Enugu MoU: Chinese Companies Could Seize Nigeria’s Assets Internationally – HURIWA

The group gave the warning over an alleged Memorandum of Understanding, (MOU) signed between the Governor Peter Mbah-led government and Chinese companies.

They insisted that the MOU could lead to the seizure of Nigerian assets in the future if legal disputes over contentious land in Enugu are not properly resolved.

The rights group said it was deeply concerned that Mbah recently entered into agreements with some Chinese companies, allegedly giving away the ownership of ancestral lands in Ugwuaji Awkunanaw, despite ongoing litigation over the land.

Speaking via a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA warned that the governor was undermining the rule of law by signing away the land to foreign companies while legal cases were still pending.

The statement read in part, “Chinese companies could seize Nigerian assets internationally, such as embassy buildings in Beijing, if the court rulings favor the original landowners.

“The Enugu State Government should refrain from taking action on these lands until the legal disputes are resolved.

“If the governor proceeds with this transaction, Nigeria could face another embarrassing situation similar to that in Ogun State, where foreign companies confiscated Nigerian assets.

“Enugu State does not have any assets abroad, so it will be Nigeria’s international assets that will be at risk.”

HURIWA called on the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify whether the Nigerian President was aware of the MOU signed by the Enugu State Government with Chinese companies.