Group urges residents to resist demolision of Owerri
ONGOING DEMOLITION AND BALKANIZATION OF OWERRI METROPOLIS BY THE ROCHA OKOROCHA LED GOVERNMENT OF IMO STATE: A CALL FOR RESISTANCE
The Igbo National Council (INC) having taken time to conduct an inclusive Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIP) of the ongoing demolition and balkanization of street roads and make shift business structures of peasants traders in Owerri metropolis by the government of Imo State under the rulership of Gov. Rochas Okoroch, and came up with the following findings positions:
1. The ongoing demolition and balkanization of make shift business places of peasant traders in Owerri metropolis will cause more hardship to the masses of the people and residence of Imo State.
2. That the purported expansion of Wetheral and Douglas roads respectively pose greater danger to the foundations of over seventy percent of the buildings along the two popular roads in Owerri. We also note that the excavation has exposed and putting to risk the foundations of many of the buildings along the roads as the construction works are closely directed to the foundational blocks of some of the builds along the road which has endangered buildings along the roads, and some of the build may risk collapse in the near future.
3. That the companies carrying out the construction work along Wetheral and Douglas roads are faceless companies that may not be registered as construction companies or be qualified to embark of road construction works. We also note that these faceless companies lack the technical skills and man power to carry out a quality and durable construction works
We note with great dismay that none of the companies have their sign post on the construction site for identification.
4. We also observed that the ongoing demolition, balkanization and purported expansion of Owerri metropolis are conduit pipes to further loot the treasury of Imo State.
5. Shocking in our findings is the discovery that over eighty thousand (80,000) peasant traders and workers have been abysmally and recklessly displaced with impunity because of the demolition exercise.
We fear the negative socioeconomic consequences of the displacement of peasant traders and workers in this hard economic situation the state and the country is facing. This displacement may increase hardship, promote crimes and other social vices in the State. It may also cause many of the youths whom their business places and source of income has been destroyed to turn themselves into a willing tools for wicked politicians to use for violence and other elections related crimes. “Idle mind is a devils workshop”.
6. In view of the above, the Igbo National Council (INC) therefore call on Gov. Rocha Anayo Okorocha to immediately stop further demolition of the business places of the peasant traders in Owerri metropolis, and also pay compensation to all the traders their businesses were destroyed and goods vandalized in the name of urban renewal.
7. Finally, the INC wish to call on the Imo State Commissioner of Police to stop allowing men of Nigerian Police Force to be used by the Imo State Government as thugs to beat up traders that try to resist thugs from vandalizing and looting their goods.
We also call on the Imo State Commissioner of Police to order the immediate dismantling of all the illegal Police checks points within Owerri Capital territories as they have constituted those check points to illegal tollgates where they now arbitrarily extort monies from motorists and also making life very difficult to motorists and other road users.
Chilos Godsent
President INC
The Igbo National Council (INC) having taken time to conduct an inclusive Socioeconomic and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIP) of the ongoing demolition and balkanization of street roads and make shift business structures of peasants traders in Owerri metropolis by the government of Imo State under the rulership of Gov. Rochas Okoroch, and came up with the following findings positions:
1. The ongoing demolition and balkanization of make shift business places of peasant traders in Owerri metropolis will cause more hardship to the masses of the people and residence of Imo State.
2. That the purported expansion of Wetheral and Douglas roads respectively pose greater danger to the foundations of over seventy percent of the buildings along the two popular roads in Owerri. We also note that the excavation has exposed and putting to risk the foundations of many of the buildings along the roads as the construction works are closely directed to the foundational blocks of some of the builds along the road which has endangered buildings along the roads, and some of the build may risk collapse in the near future.
3. That the companies carrying out the construction work along Wetheral and Douglas roads are faceless companies that may not be registered as construction companies or be qualified to embark of road construction works. We also note that these faceless companies lack the technical skills and man power to carry out a quality and durable construction works
We note with great dismay that none of the companies have their sign post on the construction site for identification.
4. We also observed that the ongoing demolition, balkanization and purported expansion of Owerri metropolis are conduit pipes to further loot the treasury of Imo State.
5. Shocking in our findings is the discovery that over eighty thousand (80,000) peasant traders and workers have been abysmally and recklessly displaced with impunity because of the demolition exercise.
We fear the negative socioeconomic consequences of the displacement of peasant traders and workers in this hard economic situation the state and the country is facing. This displacement may increase hardship, promote crimes and other social vices in the State. It may also cause many of the youths whom their business places and source of income has been destroyed to turn themselves into a willing tools for wicked politicians to use for violence and other elections related crimes. “Idle mind is a devils workshop”.
6. In view of the above, the Igbo National Council (INC) therefore call on Gov. Rocha Anayo Okorocha to immediately stop further demolition of the business places of the peasant traders in Owerri metropolis, and also pay compensation to all the traders their businesses were destroyed and goods vandalized in the name of urban renewal.
7. Finally, the INC wish to call on the Imo State Commissioner of Police to stop allowing men of Nigerian Police Force to be used by the Imo State Government as thugs to beat up traders that try to resist thugs from vandalizing and looting their goods.
We also call on the Imo State Commissioner of Police to order the immediate dismantling of all the illegal Police checks points within Owerri Capital territories as they have constituted those check points to illegal tollgates where they now arbitrarily extort monies from motorists and also making life very difficult to motorists and other road users.
Chilos Godsent
President INC
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