Jacinta Chisom OguadinmaLabour Party’s candidate in 2023 Enugu State governorship election, Hon. Chijioke Edeoga, has condemned the recent demolition of structures in parts of the state by the Peter Mbah-led administration.
He also called for relocation and adequate compensation of persons affected by the demolition exercise.
The state government recently embarked on demolition of structures which affected businesses, and even educational institutions across Enugu metropolis and Nsukka. In Enugu town the government brought down structures in Gariki, Awkunanaw, among others, while in Nsukka parts of Ogige market was demolished.
It was gathered that the state government plans to build modern motor parks in those places.
Edeoga, a former commissioner for Environment, said it is a mark of insensitivity to the feelings of the people for the state government to embark on such demolitions without any form of consultations with the people and communities affected.k
In statement he personally signed, Edoga said the more worrisome thing about the demolition saga is that there was no plan for relocation of the affected businesses to other locations before the demolition.
He said that in every part of the world, the essence of governance is to aggregate the interest and needs of the people and come up with a common solution, but in the state, it is a different thing.
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Pointing out what he considered to be an act of insensitivity, Edeoga cited the demolition of structures belonging to Our Saviour’s Institute of Science and Technology (OSISATECH), a private higher institution belonging to a charismatic catholic priest, Rev Fr Emmanuel Edeh. “This educational institution was levelled despite a court order obtained to prevent the school’s demolition.
“If there have been suspicions that the administration in Enugu State is insensitive to public sentiment and disdainful of the rule of law, the demolition of OSISATECH tended to validate it. It is scary that a government that swore to uphold the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is routinely disobeying court orders.”
The LP gubernatorial candidate alleged that the affected business owners were sacked from their shops few months after the state government had collected huge taxes and levies from them. “It is curious that the Enugu State Government waited until it had collected these levies and taxes before destroying the sources of those funds.”
He noted that some of those areas demolished have constituted challenges of congestion and were due for “some form of urban renewal,” but like every development project, particularly, urban renewal, it an incremental activity that takes cognizance of the impact on people and businesses.
The statement also added that while the government intends to build motor parks in those areas that had been demolished, “what nobody has established is how a motor park was considered more important than the sources of livelihood of thousands of people.
“There were two more viable options open to the government: either relocating the markets and businesses in those areas to another location, if the motor parks must be at the heart of the city or building the garages on the outskirts of the city,” he added.
He also noted that recent demolition exercises in the State “have created more pain and panic than whatever value that may be buried in those projects.”
He called on the Enugu State government to take immediate steps to respect court orders as is the practice in every civilized democratic country, and also compensate those affected and build new markets relocate them.
“The compensation should include the cost of the lost structures, assets, and inventory and the estimated earnings for the period between the date of the demolition and the time the government provides alternative markets,” Edoga advised.
Some traders at Ogige market whose shops were demolished have cried out over the loss of their investment. Some of them told Prime Business Africa on Sunday that they were not given any notice.
Affected Traders Lament
A trader, Mr. Emeka, said he has asked the boys serving under him to go back home as his shops have been destroyed. “Due to the demolition, five of my boys will have to go back to their parent house, there is nothing to settle them with. One of my boys was supposed to be settled by the end of this year but with this situation now, I am even confused on what to do now,” Mr Emeka stated.
Another victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “I bought my shop just three months ago and the amount I bought is unbelievable, just three months and, the shocking thing is that I collected a loan for this shop, and the goods, so without a place to stay, how am I supposed to pay back the loan, I am here to remove the protective irons I constructed here.“
Peter Nweke, who sells medicine in the market said his shop is among those being demolished and within the last few days, he has lost business deals close to five million naira. He says the state government is supposed to provide an alternative place for them just as it has been done before in Onitsha main market.” “The Government of Anambra State makes provisions for the people when a situation like this comes up but why is Enugu state this bad? We don’t know what the country is turning into, does it mean the government wants us to be roaming the streets?
