Following the building collapse that occurred on Basden Street, Fegge, Onitsha, on Saturday, the Anambra State Government on Monday demolished no fewer than 2,000 shops on Niger Street in Fegge, Onitsha South Local Government Area of the state.
The shops, located by the bank of the River Niger, were mostly owned by members of the Sand Miners Association of Anambra State, who used them as equipment and operational offices, while some were occupied by petty traders who serviced them.
The illegal structures were said to have been built by traders who allegedly got approval from the National Inland Waterways Authority. However, the state governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, during a visit to the area last week, stated that NIWA does not have the right to build or allocate spaces to traders on Anambra land.
Soludo, during the inspection of roads constructed by his administration, ordered the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government, Chief Emeka Orji, to demolish all the illegal structures, noting that the land belongs to Anambra State and not NIWA.
“The code or bye-laws establishing NIWA gave the organisation 100 metres from the banks of the River Niger as a right of easement, but what we are seeing here are illegal structures and should be demolished,” the governor said.
This development is coming as the state government has declared war on illegal structures following the collapse of a five-storey building at Fegge in the same community.
Our correspondent, who was at the scene of the demolition, observed that the exercise displaced over 4,000 people, while multi-million naira worth of equipment goods were damaged in the exercise.
The council boss, Orji, who supervised the demolition, told journalists and the displaced victims that he was acting on the orders of the governor, following the incessant building collapses in the area.
Orji said, “A notice was issued regarding the demolition, and it was followed by a series of follow-up notices, but they disobeyed.
“Then last week, Mr Governor came here and told them that this place is not for shops or markets and ordered me to demolish the area, but I gave them another one-week notice which ended today.”
The area, according to Orji, would be barricaded and cleared for the establishment of a Seaside Resort which would have green park areas with umbrella trees for relaxation and amusement.
He said, “Most buildings currently under construction would be subjected to integrity tests which include material tests, and quality tests.
“Everywhere cannot be a market in Onitsha, and we have declared war on illegal structures and we shall ensure that the right thing is done about building collapse in the Onitsha South Local Government Area.”
While the demolition was going on, the affected victims were seen trying to salvage some of their equipment and goods. According to them, there was no prior information about the demolition.
One of the victims, Mrs Ekeoma Okafor, said, “We were not given any notice regarding the demolition. It is vindictive and targeted at us because we refused to settle some government officials. We pay appropriate taxes and levies to the state government, and we don’t cut corners or pay illegal revenue collectors or government agents who shortchange the state.”
Other displaced victims who spoke to journalists described the exercise as “wicked”, wondering why a state government would embark on such an exercise during a period when Nigerians are suffering, without allowing people to remove their machines and goods.
The Manager of Lake Petroleum Limited, one of the owners of sand beaches and shops, Chief Okechukwu Okoye, said they lost over 130 shops and equipment worth millions of naira, saying that there was no prior information about the demolition.
When contacted, the NIWA Area Manager, Suleiman Nicholas, said the state government could not take action on NIWA Right of Way without informing the agency.
Nicholas said, “If there is any illegal structure on NIWA Right of Way, the state government should write to us, and we will take action against any of our customers involved. But we did not receive any complaint from the state government about such obstruction, and therefore, there is no reason for such demolition to take place.”
Peoplesmind
