The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, Enugu State chapter, on Sunday, said despite the recent resignation of the state Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Dr Victor Nnam, security agencies should ensure speedy conclusion of investigation of all petitions against the ministry’s activities.

The former commissioner, in his resignation letter, had attributed his decision to quit to “recent removal of the professional heads of departments under me in a punitive ground for simply doing their jobs diligently.”

But NULGE, in statement by its President, Kenneth Ugwueze, wondered if grabbing land without due process is part of doing one’s job diligently.

The statement was titled “Re: The resignation of the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development, Enugu State: the truth of the matter.”

Ugwueze narrated how the former commissioner allegedly reallocated a piece of land at Independence Layout, allocated to the union by the past administration in 2012, to another person in 2021.

He said the reallocation was made despite that the union had started erecting its permanent state secretariat, which serves also as the zonal office for the South East, on the piece of land.

He said the union avoided confrontation and decided to report the matter to security agencies.

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He said, “As a responsible and responsive union, we controlled the anger of our teeming members who were ready for a show down, considering the current fragile security environment, and resorted to civil approach through a report to the security agencies in the state.

“We also wrote to the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, crying out for help as he is also aware of our ownership of the land.

“While the security agencies were still investigating and making their preliminary reports, the commissioner hurriedly tendered his resignation letter to avert his sack.

“It is ridiculous for the Commissioner for Lands and Urban Development to write such letter of resignation when investigation is still ongoing and those his senior officers were only redeployed to give way for proper investigation of his ministry which has been in public domain, including but not limited to several invitations by the Enugu State House of Assembly.

“We wish to thank the governor for his intervention by the steps already taken to sanitise the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development, Enugu State.”

The state government has yet to react to the minister’s resignation as the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Chidi Aroh, did not take his calls when contacted.