This is certainly not the best of times for Christmas celebration for some landlords and residents of Omalima and Irunkwo, Phase One and Two Layout, as well as Trans Nkisi Fitness club drive of Trans-Nkisi GRA, Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
This is as the state government enforcement team over the weekend, demolished several structures in the area.
The land recovery and enforcement team accompanied by fully-armed security personnel stormed the area, with bulldozer, turning many buildings into rubble.
It was gathered that the buildings were illegally built by individuals who encroached on the lands with neither approval nor permit.
TNC correspondent who monitored the exercise observed that the building were demolished following the expiration of a removal notice issued to the illegal developers.
Speaking during the exercise, leader of the team, Barr Chike Maduekwe said they were enforcing a state government directive to recover government lands Illegally possessed by some individuals.
According to him, the exercise would be sustained to deter others, as land encroachment is becoming more rampant in the State.
“It is alarming how people encroach on lands belonging to government and even communities without due approval. Most of these people who thrive in impunity believe they can overall the government.
“But we want to assure them that the government of Governor Chukwuma Soludo is a government of rule of law and transparency, and will not allow any form of impunity in the building and construction sector.
“This is an exercise we will sustain to sanitize the system of developing infrastructure in Anambra state, to meet acceptable global standards,” Maduekwe posited.
On the demolished structures, the ANSPPB boss explained that they encroachedon a supposed 60-meter access road, thereby reducing the road to about 15 meters, hence the need for the government to reclaim the lands.
Acknowledging that it is tough to come and do demolitions, he however expressed optimism that Anambra people will appreciate the governor by the time they see the results of what he is doing.
Maduekwe further stated that: “Governor Soludo gave instruction to the committe on land recovery to carry out their work, following a white paper.
“We gave them notice to remove these structures by themselves but they refused. It is on the strength of that we are here, to remove those structures, and it is not a personal thing.”
Barr Maduekwe appealed to developers to always obtain building permits from the state physical planning board before erecting building in the state, to comform with the building plans of the state.
