Why we demolished buildings in Enugu Centenary City — ECTDA

The Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) has said it demolished buildings at the Enugu Centenary City for lack of proper approval from the state government.

Mr Uche Anya, the Executive Chairman of ECTDA, stated this on Saturday in Enugu while reacting to the online trending video alleging that the Enugu Government demolished over 200 buildings in Centenary City.

In the said video, a man was seen appealing to Gov. Peter Mbah to come to their aid and prevent further demolition of people’s investment.

The man in the video alleged that he bought the land while the necessary documents were given to him and wondered why his building would be marked for demolition.

“They asked us to come back home, and this is what they are doing to us. This is my only building in Enugu, and ECTDA marked it for demolition. They should tell us what to pay instead of demolishing our houses,” he said in the video.

Reacting, Anya described the buildings demolished as illegal development without titles and approval from the Enugu State Government, adding that they were given notices to remove the illegal structures.

He added that in the course of the demolition, the agency burst into kidnappers in a building at the isolated part of the estate.

Anya said kidnappers were arrested from the building while a lot of guns, 24 mobile phones, eight CCTV Cameras with SIM Cards were recovered from them and handed over to the police.

“They are not discussion this one online,” Anya said.

Explaining how the land came to be, an ECTDA staff who pleaded anonymity told the News Agency of (NAN) that the Amechi community in Enugu South Council Area gave the land to the then Old Anambra State Government.

He stated that after the creation of Enugu State in 1991, the state inherited the land to build a permanent site for Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).

“When the former governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, was in power, he moved ESUT to Agbani, and the state government converted the land to Centenary City Estate.

“Amechi and the neighbouring communities began to sell part of the land to individuals,” he said.

He added, “What we are saying is that those individuals should go to the government and obtain appropriate approval, but they refused to do it.

“And we demolished less than 30 buildings”.

NAN reports that the demolition took place on January 19.