CRIES OF FRUSTRATION, GOODS DAMAGED AS ACTDA DEMOLISHES BUILDING IN AWKA

REPORTER: UCHE NDEKE

Goods worth millions of naira have been destroyed by some men said to be working for the Awka Capital Territory Development Agency, (ACTDA).

The destruction followed the partial demolition of a storey building located at temporary site, Unizik Junction, Awka, the state capital.

The demolished structure, which is located meters away from a water drainage at the temporary site junction, houses a grocery shop, computer accessory office and other offices that had been operating for more than eight years.

However, according to the people, some men came with buses with ACTDA inscription and payloader, and proceeded to demolish part of the structure.

When Radio Nigeria arrived at the scene, some people were seen trying to assist the affected victims to evacuate their remaining goods, wares and few valuables including air conditioners.

Bags of rice, flours, crates of eggs and other baking stuffs, allegedly destroyed during the demolition, were littered on the floor while the victims counted their looses.

One of the tenants, Mr. Obele Chukwujekwu, who recounted that he lost goods worth millions of naira to the demolition, wondered why a government agency would inflict such pain to residents.

According to Mr. Chukwujekwu, he took the building on lease from the owner for six years duration, which was yet to elapse.

He narrated that the landlord along the line sold the same structure to another person, who began to serve the occupants a Quit Notice even when their rent was yet to expire.

Mr. Chukwujekwu while noting that the matter was already before a high court in Awka, wondered why the Awka Capital Territory Development Agency would demolish the structure.

Some sympathizers, who were seen assisting in evacuating the recovered goods, described the exercise as inhuman, asking why there was no other structure close to the same water channel that suffered the same fate.

One of them, Mr. Cyprian Onyeabor remarked that with the present economic realities in Nigeria, it was really not the best option for a government agency to destroy goods and wares without any cogent reason.

The affected persons appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo
to intervene in the matter by setting up an independent body to look into the demolition.

In a telephone conversation, the Managing Director, Awka Capital Territory Development Agency, Mr. Ossy Onuko, said a removal order had been issued to the occupants since February 2020, claiming that the goods and wares in the shops were evacuated before the demolition was carried out.

On why no other structure in the area was marked for demolition, the ACTDA boss asked the journalist to meet his media team as he could only speak on critical issues.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU