Uproar in Enugu over planned demolition as residents get 72 hours to vacate

 

Landlords and tenants of Amesi street in Abakpa Nike Enugu and the adjoining streets have appealed to the governor of Enugu state, Barr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, to save their houses from demolition.

About 30 residential buildings, most of which are mainly two to three storey structures, were marked for demolition by the Enugu East Town Planning Authority (ESTPA).

The notice of the demolition was pasted on the buildings on Saturday evening telling the people to vacate their abode within 72 hours.

Touched by this unbecoming development, the residents of Amesi Street called on Governor Mbah to come to their rescue over the unexpected planned demolition.

Addressing journalists on the issue, a tenant, Mr. Innocent Okolie, lamented that the residents were predominantly retired civil and public servants and as such government should consider the plight they could face in the face of demolition without alternative accommodation and compensation.

“We appeal to the Executive Governor of Enugu State to call his officials to order over this matter. We appeal that due process should be followed in consulting with landlords and tenants to agree on acceptable frame to vacate the area if need be.

“While government is discussing with landlords, government should also work out support programme for tenants to make their relocation easier,” they appealed.

They said they made this plea because they will not stand in the way of any development project government may wish to embark on but it should not be to their detriment.

“In this circumstance, we are not saying that government should not undertake projects aimed at bettering the lots of Enugu people but that it should not be done at the detriment of certain people,” they posited

A legal practioner, managing No. 18 Amesi Street, one of the buildings marked for demolition, Barr. Francis Chukwuemeka Ezigbo, lamented that it is unheard of to be given 72 hours to vacate a place without a prior notice.

Ezigbo said they were not given any notice as to why government wants to acquire the place, pointing out that for government to acquire a place, there has to be procedure, pointing out that the place in question was a private property.

“The issue is that we have not gotten any notice as to what government wants to do except this notice from the Enugu East Town Planning to vacate that was not signed by anybody. The house has been there for 45 years. This place has never been a government property per session.

“If government wants to acquire a place, they should approach the people and a compensation should be paid. Nobody had ever met us until they came and out this notice and gave 72 hours to remove our property. I don’t know the government we are running, but I think this might lead to anarchy.

“The issue is that we have to do things right because there are laid procedure before acquisition will take place,” he said.

Investigation showed that the former old timbre market was marked for demolition and has been demolished before the officials came and started marking residential buildings for demolition.

It was learnt that government wants to acquire the place to build a modern bus terminal in line with the state government’s urban renewal plans.