Exclusive: Governor Ugwuanyi To Demolish Chime’s Property In Enugu

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Tuesday, January 7th, 2020

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

…Pulls Down NUJ’s Perimeter Fence

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The ongoing demolition exercise by the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority ECTDA, may soon hit the Enugu residence of the immediate past governor of the state, Barrister Sullivan Chime, African Examiner has reliably gathered.

Officials of the Enugu State Government attached to the Agency had on Monday evening demolished the perimeter fence of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, (NUJ), Enugu State Council, located at No. 4 Rangers Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu, which is very close to Chime’s residence.

A source close to the state government, who craved anonymity told our correspondent that ECTDA, does not believe in sacred cow in the ongoing demolition exercise, adding that it has concluded plans to pull down all perimeter fences and illegal structures that allegedly violates the original state development control, including Rangers Avenue and environ.

Our Correspondent gathered that ex- governor Chime, and the serving governor, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, have been fighting a cold political war since the incumbent took over mantle of leadership of the state, a development, that may have compelled the former governor to dump the People’s Democratic party PDP for the ruling All progressive Congress APC.

However, it would be recalled that the demolition exercise being carried out in parts of Enugu metropolis under the supervision of chairman of ECTDA, Mr. Ken Onoh, has rendered scores of residents of the city homeless and jobless, as their shops and residential homes were affected.

Despite the public outcry and condemnation of the exercise by citizens of the state last year, including Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, of the famous Adoration Ministry, Enugu, the state government which temporarily stopped it in last December, resumed the demolition in full force on Monday .

The Source revealed that already, the former governor’s perimeter fence, including other ones that violates the state development control along Rangers Avenue and environ have been marked for demolition

Reacting to the NUJ perimeter fence demolition exercise, the state Commissioner for Information Mr. Chidi Aroh said: “as former Commissioner for ECTDA, there is no way the government can embark on such demolition if the property in question had not violated the state development control.”

Addressing journalists, the Chairman, Enugu state NUJ, Comarde Rex Arum, described the demolition of the Press Centre as an affront on the media.

According to him, “the government told the union that the fence is not within the town planning stipulation. The chairman of Enugu State Capital Development Authority (ECTDA), Ken Onoh, said that the fence a few feet beyond the stipulated area.”

Arum further explained that NUJ leadership in the state and at the national level had interfaced with the leadership of ECTDA when the Government first sealed the Centre with the title documents.

“We thought it has been settled after some documents they asked for were presented, verified and confirmed to be genuine. Unfortunately, this evening we saw the officials of the ECTDA led by the chairman, Onoh with bulldozer demolishing the perimeter fencing of the NUJ Secretariat which had been there before my administration.”

“I have appealed to the governor personally and even through some Commissioners to help give the Secretariat a facelift but all we get is bulldozer coming to demolish the fence of the Centre which was donated to NUJ since 1971 by the government East Central State.

“If the governor has yielded to our request for the renovation of the Centre the demolition of the fence would have been taking care of.

“We have been cooperating with the state government through positive reports for the development of the state but what we get in return is demolition of our property.”

On the issue of the fence violating the Town Planning of the area, the Chairman queried why other properties along Rangers Avenue including the resident of former Governor, Sullivan Chime and the official resident of Chief Judge of the state were not demolished because their fences were in the same perimeter with NUJ.