… As Nung Oku community raises alarm over atrocities of Hausa scavengers
By Timothy Ekpo
Uyo
In continuation of the state government drive to keep Uyo capital city clean, the Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) is embarking on a sensitization campaign to demolish illegal structures.
Leading the awareness campaign exercise along major roads within Ibom Plaza, the chairman of the authority, Mr Anietie Ekah, said he had to go round to let the people, especially traders selling at unauthorized places to relocate to designated markets as demolision of illegal structures will commence.
At Ibom Plaza, Ekah, informed illegal motor park operators and shanties owners to cooperate with Government to rid the state capitol of illegal structures that have defaced the aesthetics of the city.
He noted that the sensitization exercise was carried out before the planned demolision, so that people would not have the excuse to complain that they were not aware of it.
He explained that this year’s demolision would be a continuation of what UCCDA started last year, which illegal shops and shanties were pulled down along Aka Road, Aka /Nung Udoe, Goodluck Jonathan Boulevard, Idoro Road and environs.
At Itam Market, Eka told illegal shop operators and roadside sellers that they should relocate and move into the market and do their business. He pointed out that apart from shanties that have defaced the environment, their lives were in danger as they could be knocked down by moving vehicles.
The UCCDA Boss, warned that Government would take demolision of structures and equally prosecute defaulters.
At Ikot Oku Ikono Flyover, Eka advised traders to vacate the facility and move to Udua Okpokpo, where a lot of space were still not occupied, stressing that their lives were more important to government and their loved ones.
Ekah, maintained that due to the importance Government attaches to the exercise, he had to personally move round to appeal to them to appreciate government efforts to keep Uyo clean, as no responsible government would watch the citizen turn major roundabouts in the state to markets.
He stressed that the authority had given order to traders and illegal parks operators to relocate to approved locations on or before the first week of February, by which time the demolision of those structures would commence.
At Nsikak Eduok and Edet Akpan, Eka, told traders that Akwa Ibom Government had never approved any market to be located there and whoever had put up structure as shop, did so at his or her risk, as those shanties and shop attachments would be brought down.
At Nung Oku Junction, the authority chairman, expressed worry over the reconstruction of shanties there, few months after the previous ones were demolished.
At the Nung Oku Park, Eka said he was there following a report that the illegal dump site operated by the hausas had turned the park to den of robbers.
The chairman, Nung Oku Village Council, Mr Anietie Edem, told the chairman that the hausas had taken over the park, vandalized facilities at the Ring Road 3, removing demarcation wires, man hole covers for condemned irons.
He said that the Hausas had committed various atrocities that had made live unbearable to Nung Oku and they were contemplating full scale attack of the community by the Hausas.
Accompanied by the village head elect, Eteidung Anietie Edem, who said Nung Oku people were helpless and needed the intervention of government to rid the area off Hausa criminals.
Ekah, assured the community that the shanties built by the hausa iron scavengers would be demolished very soon. On the criminality trend, the UCCDA Boss told them that Government would take appropriate security measure to rid the area of those hoodlums.
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