Emmanuel OKoh, 50, who resides at Federal Housing Estate, Enugu, the Enugu state capital, is groaning under the weight of the present economic hardship in the country.
A a businessman of ten years standing, Okoh now finds it extremely difficult to put food on the table for his five children following the shrinking of his income as well as the unprecedented rise in the costs of food items, including goods and services.
And just as he conceived a business plan to enable him escape the tyranny of hunger and deprivation, Okoh unexpectedly came face to face with what seems to be a bigger challenge which if left unchecked could completely cripple his business, and so keep him perpetually on the poverty lane.
“The Enugu State Government has marked my property on Nike Lake Road, Trans Ekulu, Enugu, for demolition.
“I borrowed money from a mortgage bank to build the house several years ago, and if the state government goes ahead with its plan to demolish the house, I will be left with no fall back position. My entire business will be ruined if that happens,” bemoaned Okoh.
This is not an isolated case. Indeed, the Enugu State Government has marked for demolition many houses on Nike Lake Road, Trans-Ekulu, Enugu – beginning from PENOKS through NOWAS, and beyond.
According to Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah-led government of Enugu State, the idea behind the demolition plan is to expand the road – dualize same, and make driving on that road safer, faster.
Recall that in 2015 – barely two-and-half months into his administration, the then Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, floated the idea of demolishing several houses on Nike Lake Road, Trans-Ekulu, to pave ample way for its dualization.
However, Ugwuanyi soft-pedaled following appeals by property owners on both sides of the road, and acknowledgment of the negative implications of destroying people’s property – many of them who voted him into office.
Many of the property owners argued then that their building plans were duly approved by the Federal Ministry of Housing, adding that the construction of those houses was supervised by the same ministry after payment of the prescribed official fees.
It was reliably gathered that the specifications of the Federal Ministry of Housing regarding “setback and working drawings,” were stringently complied with in the construction of the houses under discussion.
As a matter of fact, an official “setback” of three meters from the drain, was specified by the Federal Ministry of Housing for all structures at the Federal Housing Estate, Nike Lake, Enugu.
When Our Reporter visited the area few days ago, it was observed that demolition notices had been pasted on many buildings on the Nike Lake Road.
The buildings include, but not limited to the prestigious Sunrise International Nursery and Primary School, Content Oil and Gas, Dontell Hotel, Akachukwu pharmacy Limited, St Philips Church, and part of Sazodo Plaza which is close to NOWAS Filling Station.
Some residents who spoke with our Reporter are of the opinion that the current width of the road is enough for the state government to make it a dual carriage way.
“If the state government insists on expanding the road, it should take one metre from both sides of the road, without destroying anybody’s property,” argues one of the residents.
Even before he assumed office as governor on May 29, 2023, Mbah who was elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), promised to focus on “dualization and resurfacing of over 10,000 kilometers of road across the state using both direct state government funding, public private partnerships and partnership with local governments.”
The road projects envisaged in the master plan of roads include urban roads within the core urban areas of Enugu, Udi, and Nsukka.
“Our urban roads will receive upgrades with key elements like traffic lights, street lighting, covered drains as well as pedestrian and cyclist lanes,” says Mbah’s manifesto.
However, most residents of Federal Housing whose houses on Nike Lake Road, have been marked for demolition, have appealed to Governor Mbah to have compassion on them, especially against the backdrop of the biting economic hardship, and spare their buildings.
They praised the efforts of Governor Mbah to give Enugu Municipality, and indeed the entire state a facelift, but urged him to take cognizance of the fact that the existing structures were approved by law.
Said one resident: “If you are going from PENOKS to NOWAS, my property is by the right of Nike Lake Road, and the whole of that right – between PENOKS and NOWAS – is what is called Federal Housing Estate.
“The “setback” for that Federal Housing Estate generally (approved by the federal government), is three meters. And the original master plan of that area never envisaged a dual carriage way. So, now the state government has again come up to say they want to improve that road by making it a dual carriage way.
“What we’re saying is that whatever development the government is envisaging is good, but let the government take account that there are existing structures approved by law.
“And we are saying that since you want to extend the “setback,” why not make it one metre, or even one-and-half meters beyond where the gutter is now, and that way, the government will still not infringe on people’s property.
“The government will still be able to get a wider road, and may be a narrow median in the middle just like what you have in Zik Avenue, or even Gariki, then you get a dual carriage way, and people will be happy – you won’t destroy livelihoods and property, and at the same time, you would have achieved your aim.
“It will be unfair for the state government to destroy property that we got from federal housing. This is not even a state land.
“That area was taken over as Federal Housing Estate during the era of late President Shehu Shagari. And all the property on that line have a “setback” of three meters. But what we’re hearing now is that the state government wants to go back as far as five meters, and that way, they will just bulldoze many houses.”
Meanwhile, officials of the Enugu State Ministry of Works, and Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority (ESCTDA) refused to comment on the issue when our Reporter confronted them over the prospects of the planned demolition exercise.
However, the residents of the affected area are earnestly hoping that Governor Mbah as a listening and compassionate leader would toe the footsteps of his predecessor and allow their buildings to stand.
