Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The All Progressives Congress (APC), Enugu State chapter, has accused Governor Peter Mbah of intentionally demolishing and destroying peoples’ sources of livelihood in the state.
The APC State chairman, Mr. Ugochukwu Agballah, said this in Enugu while conducting newsmen round one of the demolished sites in Enugu.
It also described as extortion the multiple taxes forcefully imposed on the people to further impoverish them despite the current hardship in the country.
Agballah said the demolition of Holy Ghost/Railway/Okpara Avenue Axis, Abakpa Market, Garriki Market, Ogige main market in Nsukka, and the OSISATECH Polytechnic was an act of wickedness.
The APC chairman further accused Gov. Mbah of embarking on the demolition without providing alternative places nor paying commensurate compensation to the affected people.
“The demolition of Holy Ghost/Railway/Okpara avenue axis, Gariki Market, Abakpa Market and Ogige Market in Nsukka had led to untold financial and psychological hardship on affected families.
He said the demolitions would lead to loss of revenue and jobs, deteriorating living conditions characterised by increased poverty, social unrest, increased crime and loss of goods and services.
“Gov. Mbah must not demolish other planned areas, parks, and market marked for demolition.
“The government must carry out cost benefit analysis before embarking on a destructive project, if indeed, it’s for the people,” Agballah said.
According to him, the action of the Enugu State government was a clear violation of the constitutional right of the people to own property, saying the government disobeyed court orders stopping the demolition.
While revealing that the APC in the state would sue the government for the violation, Agballah asked the Federal Government to call Gov. Mbah to order, to avoid breakdown of law and order in Enugu State.
“We call on the House of Reps to invoke its powers to set up an administrative panel of inquiry to stop this land grabbing scheme and make sure commensurate compensation is paid to not only land owners of destroyed properties but also those whose businesses were destroyed.
“It is important that a national public inquiry be set by the House of Reps to stop the impunity going on in Enugu and make sure that the governor is held responsible for desecrating the constitutional rights of the citizens to own property and carry on their lawful businesses.
“We also call on those whose businesses were destroyed to seek redress and make sure they get commensurate compensation for their destroyed businesses, and we pledge to fully support them.
“Enugu citizens should not tolerate this show of unbridled dictatorship, impunity and wickedness,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Red Cross Society in Enugu State has faulted the APC Chairman, Ugo Agballa, on the claim that it lost a baby in the process of demolitions at Holy Ghost, Enugu.
It also faulted the claim that it had over 100 children at the time of the demolition, saying they had only 14 children who had all been safely and temporarily relocated to another orphanage in the state capital, asking to be left out of Enugu politics.
These rebuttals and clarifications were made by the Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross in Enugu, Tony Udegbu.
