U-Report: FENRAD Condemns The Proposed Demolition Of 1800 Houses In Aba, Abia State Nigeria

Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor; FENRAD Executive Director

Report By: FENRAD Publicity Arm

An Environmental Rights Organization, Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy And Development(FENRAD) has condemned the planned demolition of houses said to be built on waterways in Aba purportedly obstructing the free flow of water thereby worsening conditions of roads inAba.

In a statement by the Executive Director. Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, FENRAD described such moves as premeditated and insensitive to the plights of Aba residents who are “already reaping the dividends of the bad Roads”network in Aba as a result of the bad Governance of the present administration in the state.

FENRAD Urged the government to construct and rehabilitate already dilapidated roads in Aba which has become a nightmare than planning to demolish buildings to create more hardships to Abians who have been inflicted already. The government early in the year demolished marketplaces and shops along the streets in Aba in the bid to construct roads, up till now nothing have been done to the roads which has become a nightmare, hindering economic Activities in the state.

One would ask, when the federal government was constructing the Ndiegoro-Aba, how many houses were pulled down? when the big gutters along school road were built, how many houses were pulled down? The issue of house demolish by the state government  is an act to impoverish the people. There is nothing wrong with the government tackling flood in the city, but a more civilized manner would be used to do that so that the populace will not suffer the hardship that might arise from the planned demolition.

FENRAD advised the government to focus on projects that would impact positively on the lives of Aba residents instead of re-roofing public buildings, painting the roads and sand filling potholes.

FENRAD also called on government to provide survey of the houses to be demolished and Aba master plan to ascertain if the houses were built on waterways, it described the government move as unserious because it appears it want to exonerate itself from the depleted states of roads in Aba.

FENRAD threatened Legal action against the state government if it didn’t rescind its decision, as such will amount to breach of economic, socio and cultural rights of the citizenry.