By ENYIM ENYIM
ONITSHA—Traders in the commercial city of Onitsha, yesterday, protested the demolition of their structures by Anambra State Government.
Addressing newsmen on the development, spokesman of the traders and national co-ordinator of Human Rights Guide Association, Mr. Raphael Agu, condemned the attitude of the state government as the traders were not given at least 24 hours notice to quit the place.
Agu demanded that government paid appropriate compensation to the victims to enable them look for an alternative place for their businesses, threatening that failure to do that might force the traders to seek redress in court.
A cross-section of traders and industrialists in the affected area who spoke to newsmen said they had lost all their wealth, following the demolition of their shops, offices and factories by the state government.
The government officials who demolished the structures were said to have arrived the area midnight last Saturday with bulldozers and heavy duty equipment for the job.
Some of the victims, Godwin Ezeike, chairman of the God's Own Line; Emeka Udeze, Managing Director of Fubi Block Industry, Chief Vincent Luemobi, motor spare parts dealer, among others, said they had occupied the place since 1983 and were issued Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) by the state government in 2000.
Ezeike, chairman of the line, said he lost over N200m worth of property, while Emeka Udeze, who operated block industry and a travelling agency, estimated his loss at N50m, just as Luemobi, the spare parts dealer estimated his at N30m.
The traders further told journalists that officials of the state ministry of lands in the Peter Obi administration also surveyed the area recently and renewed their C of O with huge amount of money running into millions of Naira with the assurance that their shops, offices and factories were secured.
Vanguard Nigeria