HomePoliticsSet Up Panel Of Inquiry Into Enugu Demolitions, APC Urges Reps

Set Up Panel Of Inquiry Into Enugu Demolitions, APC Urges Reps

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The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the House of Representatives to invoke its powers to set up an administrative panel of inquiry into the ongoing demolitions in Enugu state.

The Eastern Updates recalls that the state government had last month embarked on demolition of scores of shops, warehouses, banks and the popular Osisatech Polytechnic as well as the workshops of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, to enable it build a modern motor park in Enugu (Holy Ghost), Gariki, Abakpa and Nsukka

The demolitions had generated a lot public outcry with the affected persons saying they were not provided alternative before the demolitions were carried out.

Concerned by the plight of the victims of the demolitions, the state chapter of the APC made an on-the-spot visit to the demolished sites at Holy Ghost, where it addressed a press conference.

Speaking to newsmen, the state chairman of the party, Barr. Ugochukwu Agballah, decried the amount of destruction at the site and other sites across the state.

While expressing happiness that the House of Representatives has already ordered its Committee on Land Transport to commence investigation into the destruction and forceful takeover of properties belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, Agballah insisted that it was important for a national public inquiry to be set by the House of Reps to stop “the impunity going on in Enugu and make sure that the governor is held responsible for desecrating the constitutional rights of the citizens to own property and carry on their lawful businesses”.

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He described the demolitions as another land grab scheme characteristic of the ruling PDP in the state, stating that similar tactics had been used in the past by the PDP governments to grab the zoological parks and gardens which was destroyed in same manner and later parcellated to high ranking members of the government.

“We would want Nigerians to note that what is going on is another land grab scheme characteristic of the ruling PDP Ebeano hegemony. This was the same tactics that was deployed by his predecessors in land grabbing the zoological parks and gardens which was destroyed in same manner and later parcellated to high ranking members of the Government, same tactics was used to take over the biggest golf course which land was grabbed and percellated to members of the government, same for Ikenga hotels, W.T.C Enugu, IMT Rectors Village, the land zoned for the building of Rangers stadium and even land meant for the conference centre which was initiated in the eighties by the Sampson Emeka Omeruah administration, this was the same tactics used to take over all ventilation and amusement parks and open spaces in Enugu city.

“These are heritage sites inherited from the Eastern regional government and belongs to all Igbos as Enugu wouldn’t have had all those iconic heritage sites if it was not a regional capital.

“This is the problem we have with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu state right from time. The same PDP destroyed government reserved area. Enugu state governors past and present are the only governors that when in office they will forcefully take peoples land. It doesn’t happen in any other state in whole of southeast.

“No investor will invest in a state where this kind of demolition takes place every so often.

“The destroyed area was the recycling hub in Enugu. This place also houses private transport companies, Petrol stations, Shopping centres etc.

“If it is not terrorism, who destroys the oldest and biggest motherless baby’s home and orphanage in the entire Southeast, Southsouth Nigeria which is run by the Red Cross? The building is as old as Enugu town.

“If this is not a land grab scheme, tell me why the hub must be in the city centre, a place already congested. If this is not economic terrorism, tell me why the government will demolish the biggest privately owned polytechnic in Enugu State, why the government destroyed over a hundred warehouses where almost 90% of goods valued at over one hundred billion that are sold in Ogbete are warehoused”, he said.

Agballah therefore called on the House of Reps to invoke its powers to set up an administrative panel of inquiry to stop this land grabbing scheme and make sure commensurate compensation was paid to not only land owners of destroyed properties but also those whose businesses were destroyed.

The Eastern Updates

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