Owners of shanties and makeshift shops along the road leading to Umuntu and Amangwo communities in Ahiaukwu Olokoro, Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State, have appealed to the state government to reconsider the demolition of their businesses.
The affected traders were seen on Friday morning struggling to remove their goods and belongings from containers and makeshift shops as officials of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), backed by security personnel, moved in to demolish the structures.
The UCDA had classified the shanties as illegal structures that were defacing the beauty of Umuahia and undermining the state government’s urban renewal efforts.
Some of the affected shop owners who spoke with our correspondent appealed to the Abia State Government to give them at least three to six months’ notice to enable them to make alternative arrangements.
However, our correspondent gathered that the UCDA had earlier issued an ultimatum directing the occupants to vacate the area from July 28.
The dispute reportedly began after individuals responsible for allocating container and table spaces at Ahiaukwu Market assigned a trader a position close to the exit of Olokoro Central School.
Following the trader’s refusal to remove the container, some shop owners said a nearby traditional ruler alerted the state government, which subsequently ordered the demolition of the structures.
As the demolition exercise continued under heavy security presence, several affected traders were left stranded while others hurriedly evacuated their goods.
Some of the shanty owners lamented that the government had previously encouraged them to establish their businesses, only for the administration to later order the removal of the structures.
Explaining the rationale behind the demolition, the General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority, Kingsley Agomoh, said the shanties were defacing the city and were inconsistent with the state’s urban renewal programme.
Agomoh told our correspondent that the affected persons had been given sufficient notice to vacate the area, stressing that the demolition was part of efforts to restore order and improve the appearance of the city.
He added that stakeholders, including leaders of the neighbouring communities, had been involved in the process and expressed concern over the indiscriminate erection of shanties and placement of containers along the road.
According to him, the structures had also become potential sources of criminal activities and were creating security and environmental challenges within the area.
Agomoh maintained that the removal of the shanties was necessary to prevent Umuahia from being dragged back to the conditions the government was working to eliminate through its urban renewal initiatives.
