Civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised the gale of demolitions of residential and commercial buildings as well as a higher institution in Enugu City and the ancient Ogige Market in Nsukka by the government of Barr. Peter Mbah just to set motor parks parks as insensitive and irresponsible.
According to the body in a statement by its National Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, “it amounts to irresponsibility, insensitivity and absolutely unconscionable for a government to introduce extensive and coordinated demolitions of houses for no justifiable reasons only because the government plans to build such white elephant projects like a bus park”.
The rights group asked Gov. Mbah to have a rethink and discontinue the demolitions, saying they are hurtful to the people of Enugu State.
He advised the government to make use of the large lands lying fallows in different parts of the state “to build those projects rather than embark on activities that cause maximum displeasure, discomfort and render homeless and jobless, thousands of the same electorate who elected Mbah as governor for four years.
“These demolitions seem like a collective punishment from a governor who feels that the electorate didn’t actually vote for him because if Peter Mbah appreciates deep inside of his heart that he legitimately won that election, there is no reason why he should turn back and subject the people who voted him into office into intolerable hardships even amidst widespread rejection by the people”.
HURIWA recalled that thousands of traders and workers at the popular Ogige Market at the University of Nigeria community, Nsukka, were Tuesday seen hurriedly evacuating their goods out of the market to beat the 72 hours’ exit notice given to them by the state.
HURIWA said: “We call on governor Peter Mbah to stop inflicting hardships on Enugu people and look for undeveloped lands in Enugu state to build those projects.
“Markets employ more citizens than motor parks. The economic dynamics should guide the Enugu state governor in making these rash of decisions with far reaching impacts on the well-being and welfare of hundreds of thousands of people”
