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The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has ordered the immediate demolition of all illegal structures put up along the waterways in Onitsha.
Dr. George Moghalu who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIWA, gave the order on Monday in Onitsha while inspecting the proposed site for the building of a maritime institute.
Moghalu expressed disappointment at the rising number of illegal structures along NIWA’s Right of Way (ROW), saying the agency was not notified by those who built structures on its property.
Moghalu, while addressing journalists in Onitsha on Monday, said his interest was to achieve peace, maintain the law, and ensure that the revenue accruing to NIWA was not tampered with.
Read Also: How We Saved 8,000 Buildings In Onitsha – Anambra Govt
He said: ‘Since people did not give NIWA any notice to go into its property, NIWA will not give them any notice before it demolishes the structures. Why would I give you notice to quit my property when you did not give me notice to enter the property?
‘I have ordered that these illegal ones be demolished before Tuesday. I’m in Onitsha today concerning the Maritime Institute that is coming up here in Onitsha.
“We have looked at the site and identified the area that is required for the project, and we have given them consent. What we are saying is that the formal application has to be made; the design of what is going to be done there must be provided for NIWA to do its survey and mark out the area in question for them to pay whatever charges that will be required.’
The Eastern Updates had last week reported that the pro-active measures taken by the Anambra State Government following a warning by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have saved over 8,000 buildings from imminent collapse as the government following the dredging and distilling of the Sakamori drain and Nwangene River in Onitsha, Anambra commercial city.
