Businessman Protests Demolition of N600m Property by Onitsha South LG Boss, Seeks Soludo’s Intervention

By Praise Chinecherem

Onitsha based businessman, Uzoeto Sabest, has raised alarm over the demolition of his buildings wort N600million by Onitsha South Local Government council led by Chief Emeka Orji.

Speaking to newsmen at the site of the demolished building located at Silas Works Road, Sabest described the act as height of insensitivity, callousness and high-handedness.

The businessman called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to prevail on the chairman to hands off his property.

He said he had dully approved Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), Building plan and other documents of the land contrary to the narrative of the Council boss who alleged he lacked the necessary documents.

He said, “Chief Orji destroyed my buildings accommodating traders, most of whom are petty traders who use the place to earn living.

“By destroying the facilities worth over N600m, the Local Government Chairman has also succeeded in removing food from the tables of the families of these traders whose goods and wares were equally destroyed and carted way by Orji’s men.

The businessman further lamented that the destruction were carried out without due process and regard to the Court since he had been in Court with the chairman over the land since 2023.

“Where is justice? Where does the citizens take refugee if they can’t run to court for protection. It is anarchy that they are creating which will not be good for all of us,” he lamented.

According to Sabest, Orji’s quest to pull down the buildings started in 2023 immediately he came in as Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Local Government when he invited him to his office over the property.

“When I went to the Local Government to see him, Chief Orji directed me to a committee made up of five persons who looked through my papers and gave me clean bill of health, thus authenticating my documents.

The business man further explained that not satisfied, Orji’s men pasted a notice on his wall to remove it, but when he met the Committee again, he told him that he has no problem with them since they have cleared him.

He said one day he received a call from a woman who said she didn’t like the way the chairman was talking about him.

The woman, he said, booked an appointment for me to see the chairman , but immediately they entered into his office, he stood up and said he was going out.

In January this year, said SAbest, Orji’s men came again and wrote on his walk “remove” but my lawyer wrote him and copied relevant security agencies, reminding him that he is in Court with them over the property.

But in all these efforts Orji was boasting that he has the backing of the Governor who is control of the Judiciary and security personnel in the State.

Said the businessman: “I called every person around him but he was boasting. On Monday I went to the site and saw a crane. When I made inquiry the driver said it was the chairman who asked him to come to the site”

Continuing he said : “Somebody from the Local Government called and told me to live my site if I was there because the order was to eliminate me and brand me an Unknown Gun Man (UGM)”.

SAbest said he then left the place but there were flurry of phone calls as Orji and his cohorts demolished his structures but he later cane back to join the crowd to see first hand the demolition.

” I have never seen this kind of thing since I was born. Local Government has no power in our laws to demolish any property. If my property was not genuine the Governor would have asked for the recovery of my Certificate of Occupancy to take over the place for overriding public interest”.

He appealed to Governor Soludo to look into this pathetic matter and return his land to him.

He said that buildings containing 26 shops ,14 toilets and bathrooms, offices and the fence plus traders’ wares were destroyed and carted away.
He said what they destroyed in the place was about N700 million,asking men of good conscience to prevail on Chief Orji and his cohorts.

But Chief Orji in earlier interview with newsmen said that the building does not have C of O and they have given Sabest enough notice, hence the demolition.

Orji is currently in Court with the UPJA Plank and Joinery, Bridgehead Onitsha for demolishing their plaza, in which they demand for a compensation for about N700m compensation and apology.