By Okey Alozie
Owerri Capital Development Authority OCDA has swung into action to sanitize the capital city especially strategic areas by removing all illegal structures and shanties.
Trumpeta observed that places like World Bank Estate, Chukwuma Nwoha, Aladinma have been earmarked and visited by the taskforce recently.
Illegal structures and shanties will be removed after a seven day notice was served the people that own the structure.
At Item Street, a widow Mrs Ijezie and Madu Chinemerem cried out to the taskforce team who visited the place to seize items of illegal shop owners who did not comply with the directives.
The widow who is a middle aged woman and another victim who is an expectant mother were said to have raised serious alarm when the taskforce team visited to their shops.
Barr Obinna Nwigwe team leader of team C while reacting to newsmen during the operation at Item street Ikenegbu layout submitted that because of the Covid-19 effects, his team would play soft adding that government had directed that any structure outside the fence of the main building is illegal and must be demolished “shanties must also be demolished” he added.
He explained that some of the structures will be allowed on temporary basis for some months because of the situation of things occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic disease outbreak.
He however maintained that owners of the temporary structures must pay the government pointing out that notice was served in respect of the payment since Thursday last week but those involved refused to comply with the directives.
When Trumpeta contacted Hon Innocent Ikechukwu Ikpamezie, he showed sympathy to victims but insisted that people should obey the law.
