3,000 houses face demolition in Uyo

From JOE EFFIONG, Uyo

Thousands of residents of Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital may be thrown out of their homes and their property demolished. The area faces imminent shortage of houses as about 3,000 buildings regarded as illegal structures by Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) face instant demolition.

Mostly affected are those said to be sited illegally in Shelter Afrique Housing Estate and on the land belonging to the University of Uyo, at its permanent site at Useh Offot.

Before the bulldozers arrived, the chairman of the UCCDA, Mr Ignatius Edet, while touring the property belonging to the authority, had told owners of such structures to expect unwanted guests – bulldozers because it was incomprehensible that people would take laws into their hands.

Edet, in company with his fellow board members, directors and management, from oversight ministries, had frowned at the situation in which plots designated for shops or even walk ways were suddenly converted to motor parks as observed around the popular Ibom connection.

When bulldozers and caterpillars rolled in on Monday, accompanied with heavily armed and fearfully looking policemen, structures ranging from residential quarters, hotels, shops and fences regarded illegal in Shelter Afrique were level to the consternation of their bewildered owners. Edet who was a former speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, said the exercise would be continuous since most of the structures demolished had been designated illegal and marked for demolition.

Edet advised members of the public to visit UCCDA for advice and approval on where and what to build whenever they intend to erect any structure to avoid falling victim . He said the master plan of Uyo Capital City must be followed to the letter.

He promised to build a hall for use as funeral parlour by people willing to bury their departed relatives at the new cemetery at Useh Offot, even as he said the authority would secure the cemetery with perimeter fencing. But the exercise generated mixed reactions among the people.

While the affected property owners expressed anger and sorrow and appealed to the authority to show leniency as they had sunk a lot of resources to develop their buildings, the residents of Shelter Afrique said it was a welcome development as it would usher in sanity in the housing estate.

A middle-aged woman whose house was demolished said she had all the papers issued to her by the authority concerned and wondered why the UCCDA would issue papers on property which they know was already allocated to certain agencies.

"The new board is just trying to show their presence. I will rebuild my fence because I have all the papers. If they don’t want trouble then they should steer clear of my fence else we would go to court. Enough is enough," she said.