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Taraba: Shop owners lament demolition by Govt

By Celestine Ihejirika, Jalingo.

Shop owners in Jalingo and its environs have continued to count their losses over sudden demolition of their shops worth millions of Naira and expressed disappointment over action of the state government.

Speaking to our correspondent on the ugly situation on Tuesday, one of the shop owners opposite Jolly Nyame Stadium, Barry Yusuf said he has lost everything following last Sunday’s mid-night demolition by the Ministry Of Rural And Urban Development.

According to him, he was disappointed by action of the state government carrying out demolition on mid-night without prior notice to them, noting that they were only informed of a meeting on the 13th of January against 14th January in the Ministry, but on reaching the venue, the meeting didn’t take place as scheduled and were told nothing.

He further stated that surprisingly on Thursday, 16th January, on reaching to the shop that fateful morning, what he saw was a marked capital “X” all over the places and immediately rushed to the Ministry to verify the whole situation but again there was no explanation, but the next thing on Sunday mid-night were presence of two Hilux vans filled with soldiers and a bulldozer accompanied with staff were busy demolishing shops, containers and business centers all over the arena.

Yusuf also lamented that till date no reason was advanced why such an act could be done in a hurry without giving a considerable time let alone paying compensation to them.

He added that in the meantime, his life and family members have come to stand still and are now ready to face death for losing his livelihood should the state government and her Ministry not come to his rescue.

“Now where do I start from, the entire business is over, look at my children, my family in this critical time, so governor Agbu Kefas wants to increase the hardship of people despite the current suffering, no! He should do something urgent to save our lives”, he stated.

Contacted, the state commissioner, Ministry of rural and urban development, Comrade. Peter Julius Vau, has refuted allegations of demolishing shops and business centers belonging to residents of the state without notice.

Julius Vau, who debunked the allegation while speaking with our correspondent said the Ministry under his watch was exercising its functions.

He expressed dismay that Jalingo, the state capital, was full of illegal structures and motor parks that had a negative effect on the master-plan of the metropolis and thereby constituting a security threat in the state.

“There’re a lot of illegal structures everywhere in the Jalingo metropolis and so this ministry is just going out to dismantle and demolish them”.

The commissioner further explained that before the demolition exercise commenced, quick notice was sent to those that were concerned and a meeting with critical stakeholders also took place before the exercise.

He added that the present administration led by Dr. Agbu Kefas is concerned about the plights of people and therefore cannot subject residents to any form of hardship.

The commissioner called on aggrieved residents to come forward to his office and lodge its complaint, saying the Ministry has human face and will not subject residents to suffering.

End.

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