Why we demolished works layout — Enugu govt

The Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, has stated that it carried out development control in works layout, GRA Enugu because of violations of town planning regulations by different property owners in the layout. Chairman of ECTDA, Dr.

Josef Onoh made the clarification in a response to a viral video where one Anthony Njoku emotionally accused ECTDA of wrongful demolition of his property located in the layout. Onoh while addressing newsmen on the issue, on Monday, said that Mr. Njoku lacked the legitimacy of claim on the property, disclosing that Njoku had since sold off the property to one Okechukwu Aneke. Onoh described Njoku’s video as mischievous, politically aimed, and malicious, intended to misinform the general public and sway underserved sympathy to him.

He said that the agency owes no personal apology in the execution of its development control activities, adding that Njoku’s video was predetermined to paint the state government as a reckless administration which he said was not a true representation of the state government.

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According to Onoh, contrary to Njoku’s claim, the agency on December 31 2020  made a public notice in the media asking that all obstruction on water and power lines should be removed or risk demolition. He further disclosed that the agency had given Okechukwu Aneke, the real owner of plot 17 works layout, a notice requesting for building approval and other title documents after which it issued a violation notice, yet no submission was made to the agency.

“On November 12, 2020, a violation notice was given on plot 17 and also on other relevant plots including a petrol station and they complied. It is important to note that the said plot 17 was not registered in the name of Mr. Anthony Njoku. The property has been sold to someone else, one Okechukwu Aneke, and whom we meant on the day of the exercise. “

As no one made the submission after the notice, the agency on humanitarian ground notified everybody about the impending demolition, and on the 24th January, we decided to carry out development control.

“As you are aware, in the master plan, works layout has an access road to constitution avenue, bursting out to Abakaliki road and to CBN. In complying with the urban renewal strides, it became necessary that some of these outlets are opened. “The transmission company of Nigeria had bombarded this agency with the request of removing all the structure built under its transmission lines. It is however sad to note that the Enugu state is the highest violators of this regulation,” Onoh said.

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