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By Iheanyi Chukwudi
Business operators along the land area spanning Enugu Red Cross railway crossing, Market road to Osisatech Polytechnic affected by the recent quit notice by the Enugu state government want government to reconsider its policy decision.
Enugu State Government hadon Monday unveiled the first phase of its Transport Infrastructure Project (TIP) which includes several world-class bus terminals, transport interchanges, logistics hubs, city gates and rail stations across the state, that would provide over 11,000 skilled and semi-skilled jobs for the youths and also attract at least ₦47.5 billion investment to the economy.
Government explained that, “Enugu Central Station will commence shortly opposite the Holy Ghost Cathedral. It promises to bring peace, decency, and order to an area that has challenged previous administrations' attempts at transformation."
It therefore, allegedly issued 14 days ultimatum to those doing businesses in the affected areas to relocate.
But business operators in the area said government needs to reconsider the vacation order in order to assuage the current tension and prevent avoidable backlash of the development.
Arising from their meeting in Enugu on Wednesday, the business operators rejected what they termed a “forceful eviction order”, by the state government, saying they were no squatters or trespassers in the area as they had legally acquired the affected area from the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), the original owners.
In a statement signed by David Johnson Anayo, Chief Clement Madichie, Chief Emeka Ezenwa, Chief George Ibekendu and Chief Onyebuchi Mgbemene, released after their meeting, they stated that most of them have been living and doing business in Enugu from their youth but have never heard of any friction or face-off between the government and people of Enugu and non-indigenes from the era of Eastern region.
They stated that they complied with all land registration requirements at the Enugu State Ministry of Lands as well as Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), adding that all the property owners affected have their lease documents fully approved by government town planning and capital territory, and wondered why the State government should treat them as illegal occupiers of their business premises after years of huge investments of billions of naira.
They said, “As of the time some of us acquired the land, the entire place was a bush area housing kidnappers and all sorts of criminals. We put in our resources to develop the area and in the process got rid of the criminals operating this axis."
To them, it would have been different if the operators failed to develop the land after acquisition which could have warranted possible revocation or eviction but "in this case, the land was fully developed immediately after acquisition by the operators."
Insisting that the 14 days ultimatum to remove their business buildings was unfair, they added that, it might have been different if the government had provided them with an alternative place of business which they could have considered.
Most of the affected operators they noted were elderly people, some of whom are likely to suffer stroke or even die as a result of a sudden destruction of their years of business investment as most of them had no other investment in life.
They further said, “Nearly all the operators are non-indigenes of Enugu State, but we did not leave our home States to come to Enugu to fight the government. We have come here to do business and make money to feed our families and contribute to the development of the host State, which we have been doing.
"So we think the Enugu State government should reconsider its policy decision in order to assuage the current tension and prevent avoidable backlash."
They also condemned the government approach which they said should not happen to fellow Igbos in Igbo land, noting that it was sad that the appeal by the operators to see the governor for dialogue was blocked.
A woman operator, Lady Alice Ofochebe who spoke after the meeting stated that as a mother, she was pleading with the government to approach the matter with a human heart and human face, and to realize that “we are all Igbos irrespective of States of origin."
She wondered why the government cannot find any other area in the whole of Enugu State for its transport business except an area where people, mostly non-indigenes have invested billions of naira.
“This is not the spirit of Igbo agenda. There is God in heaven”, she warned.
No fewer than nine thousand people working in the area which accommodates warehouses, transportation companies, manufacturing and banking business would be displaced when the government makes good the eviction order.
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