Enugu Residents Face Demolition of Homes, Businesses For Gov Mbah’s New City Project

Residents of Nchatancha Nike in Enugu State, Nigeria, are facing the demolition of their homes and businesses as part of the government’s New Enugu City project. The project, launched in October 2023 by Governor Peter Mbah, aims to build a “smart city” in the area.

However, residents claim they were not properly notified of the demolitions and accuse the government of heavy-handed tactics. Mrs. Ngozi Dede, whose multi-million naira poultry and fish farm was destroyed, told THE WHISTLER that she received no eviction notice and her property was not marked for demolition.

Mrs Dede narrated: “I learnt that they (the government) are demolishing some places. Nobody told me that my farm was marked, even the people working here said that the farm was not marked or issued eviction notices. I acquired and built this farm legally. I pay taxes in millions to the government.

“My workers and other neighbours showed me an area that was marked with even beacons. All of a sudden, I was called that one man, a commissioner came and said that my farm should be included. My workers were shouting that this area was not marked but the bulldozer went in and started demolishing the farm. No notice to vacate was issued. So as they were demolishing, I came in and I saw them and I tried to stop them. I pleaded that they should give me one day to pack the birds but they refused and demolished everything.

“I have 10,000 hens laying eggs. I collect 300 crates of eggs every day from this farm. I have 6,000 pullets that I bought that are about three to four months old; I have 2,000 broilers that I was supposed to sell this Easter, 5,000 grown-up fish ponds and 2,000 fingerlings all of which were damaged. I felt so bad that such a thing could be happening in Nigeria today. The government is there for the people and not the other way around.”

Similarly, Mr. Oha Uchenna Samson, whose house was demolished, stated that his wife and two-month-old baby narrowly escaped harm during the demolition. He further claims his property was not marked for demolition and no eviction notice was issued.

“There’s nothing like notice, they dragged my wife with our newborn baby out of my house and demolished everything, including the baby’s belongings. My house was built in 2013 and the government did not give me any eviction notice. I am not opposing any development but I think there’s a process to take over somebody’s property.

“I have a property that they marked for demolition and I religiously picked my things out of the property. Governor Peter Mbah ruined my life and that of my entire family with the innocent baby that was born barely two months ago because I am not from Enugu State. Where do I start from? This is the height of evil. My house was not marked for demolition, and there was no eviction notice why would the state government led by the commissioner for lands order the demolition of the house while the family was inside, my piggery with 45 grown-up pigs killed?

“I was busy helping people pack out their things in the areas where the government marked when I was called to come that they were demolishing by house. My wife with the new baby knelt begging at least to remove our things but the Commissioner and Director of Capital Territory used police and soldiers to push them down. They demolished the house with all our properties, including the baby’s clothes. Nothing, I mean nothing was removed from the house. They captured the people they marked their property for demolition but I was not.”

The state government, however, maintains that residents were notified years ago when land acquisitions began under previous administrations. They deny any forceful ejections and blame land grabbers who illegally sell portions of acquired land.

The Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, made the clarifications during a site visit to Nchatancha Nike where a bulldozer was attacked. He vowed that the government would not be deterred from actualising the first phase of the New City in 24 months as already agreed with the China Communication Construction Company, CCCC, in October.

He said that the governor, who already had a series of conversations and buy-in of the communities ahead and in the course of the project had ordered the contractors to begin a 24-hour construction work.

He said, “What we have discovered was that a few of community members, in noticing how bullish the governor is in building this New Enugu City, embarked on selling the lands to unsuspecting individuals, knowing that those buyers, not them, will now have to contend with the government.

“People have been served the notice many years ago that there would be a day like this when a government would decide that it is now time to actualise the promise to build a new city.

“But in doing that, what the governor decided would happen first is to clear the first 1,000 hectares. There are no homes here, as you can see. A few of the marked items you saw at the entrance belong to federal institutions.

“To make sure that no one was left without proper compensation, the governor constituted the Inter-Ministerial Committee, which I chair. We have also put out an announcement. So far, nobody has submitted anything because we are not even at that stage of demolishing anything yet. If you look around, all you see are farmlands. There is no building here, just a bush.”

Governor Mbah’s administration claims to be approaching the project with a human face by offering compensation and relocation to affected individuals. However, residents like Mrs. Dede and Mr. Samson dispute these claims, stating they have not received any compensation or relocation assistance.

The situation has sparked protests and accusations of injustice. Residents argue that the demolitions have caused significant financial hardship and displacement, particularly for those who had invested heavily in their properties.