Ebonyi Demolition Victims Seek Help

Hundreds of persons displaced by the ongoing demolition of over 20 residential houses, three modern shopping plaza, four commercial banks and other business properties have called on the Ebonyi State governor Francis Nwifuru to alleviate their suffering.

The state government through the Ministry of Works had embarked on the construction of a flyover at the highbrow area of Vanco Junction prompting the demolition of over 20 residential houses, buildings housing four banks, more than seven modern shopping plaza and the Secretariat of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

The commissioner for works and transport, Engr. Lebechi Mbam, in an interview with LEADERSHIP said that the state government decided to embark on the project to decongest the area and ensure easy vehicular and human movement.

He said the project is part of the present administration’s landmark project adding that the high level of traffic congestion in the area has become a cause for worry which needs urgent government attention.

But those displaced by the demolition expressed the regret that adequate notice was not given to them before the demolition exercise was carried out adding that many of them had already paid for their yearly rent before the one-month notice was given by the state government.

A widow, Mrs Chinyere Uzor said they have been rendered homeless and are currently living as Internally displaced persons. She revealed that it was in February that they renewed their house rent, few weeks later, the landlord came and said that government brought a notice that everyone should remove his things from the buildings, that they want to construct flyover.

“Less than a month after, we saw bulldozer everywhere, so we had to start removing our things. The landlords started removing roofs, windows and doors. In fact, many of us are now without a place to sleep. We had to park our properties under a staircase in another compound,” she said.

Another victim, Miss Patricia Igwe, lamented that since the demolition she has been unable to secure another job as a sales girl. She said that she worked as a sales girl in one of the plazas, and that immediately the bulldozers landed, their boss told them to stop coming to work and more than 30 of them working at the plaza were relieved of their duty without payment.

The three new generation banks affected by the demolition have already dismantled all the facilities in the banks leaving the customers confused.

LEADERSHIP gathered that over 200 persons were thrown out of job while more than 100 families were displaced following the demolition exercise.

The victims appealed to the governor to ensure the speedy payment of compensation as many of the landlords maintained that they can only refund rents paid when they receive government compensation.