Property owners panic as Enugu sets up demolition committee

jchima

Property owners in Enugu are apprehensive over plans by the state government to demolish buildings in parts of the state capital.

The Enugu State House of Assembly on Tuesday set up a seven-man committee to deliberate on the planned demolition.

It was learnt that the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority had already marked about 200 structures for demolition.

The affected structures, which include completed and uncompleted buildings, were reportedly erected along waterways.

Commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Chief Chidi Aroh, had, during interaction with journalists, raised the alarm that illegal structures were responsible for flooding in various parts of Enugu, particularly after rainfall.

The most affected areas are Liberty Estate and Ebeano Tunnel, which are usually inaccessible whenever it rains.

Aroh said, “We had marked some of these sites to stop work, but you have seen that most of them have continued to build and when it is pulled down, people will cry out that government has demolished a building that was nearing completion.”

The House committee, headed by the member representing Enugu South Urban, Obinna Okenwa, is to identify structures erected on waterways in Enugu metropolis in order to ascertain the ones that should be demolished.

The committee is also mandated to find out whether necessary approvals were obtained before the concerned structures were erected.

In cases where such buildings were approved, the committee is expected to fish out the particular officials that approved the buildings.

The Speaker of the House, Mr. Edward Ubosi, who inaugurated the committee, said its report would be ready in a month’s time.

Source: http://nignews.com.ng/property-owners-panic-as-enugu-sets-up-demolition-committee/