Anambra State Government has reiterated that developers of illegal buildings must bear cost of demolition of such structures or risk prosecution.
Chairman, Anambra State Physical Planning Board, Barr. Chike Maduekwe disclosed this weekend during demolition of illegal structures at Building Materials market, Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of the State as part of efforts towards achieving a livable and prosperous homeland.
The demolition exercise carried out by joint government task force, including officials of Physical Planning Board, also affected additional structures located under high tension transmission cable poles.
Maduekwe maintained that government would not tolerate impunity of indiscriminate building of structures within the areas.
He described the market, situated along Enugu-Onitsha expressway as well planned, urging well-meaning citizens to assist government by obtaining approvals before embarking on any project.
He said, “Impunity of indiscriminate building of structures cannot be allowed to continue within the market. The Governor Soludo-led administration has zero intolerance for lawlessness and recklessness.
“The board will continue to enforce development control within the state in accordance with the law of the state and Governor Soludo’s manifesto.
“The developers will bear the cost of the demolition exercise or go to jail.”
A Staff of the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) in charge of compliance and monitoring in the area who prefered anonymity described government’s action as commendable and should be sustained.
He however regretted that the market leadership had remained adamant to letters his office had written, drawing its attention to inherent dangers of building on high tension.
The task force also carried out enforcement on blocked access road at Regina Nwankwu Street, Government Residential Area, Onitsha, where a private developer erected a gate on the access road connecting various buildings.
The team also removed perimeter fence built by the developer that left individual houses uninhabited for years, as well as building encroaching on government land at Akpaka GRA, Onitsha, among other places.
