Ijeoma John Nnewi
Hundreds of shops, billboards, motor parks and other categories of property along Owerri Road Nnewi, Anambra State were on Tuesday demolished to give way for a road dualization project which was gathered would start from Agulu through Nnewi to Onitsha-Owerri Road.
Some of the shops and other property owners were lamenting, claiming that enough time was not given to them to relocate to areas not affected.
When our Correspondent moved along Owerri Road, people were busy gathering the skeletons of their property and an earth mover was busy demolishing anything standing along the marked areas.
Some of the shops and houses were seen with the marks, “move 40 meters, 20 meters, 6 meters, 20 meters inside” , and so on.
One of the property owners along the Owerri Road, Chief Kenneth Maduako who spoke on the exercise said it was a welcome development so long as government would not waste time in starting and finishing the road dualization.
“If they can apply the same speed they use in demolishing people’s property to finish the road dualization project, there won’t be any problem.
“What people would not like is to destroy their property and there would be a long wait before the project is carried out.
“We know government should pay compensation to those who should be paid, not just everything, “he said.
A shop owner, a tailor who would not like his name mentioned said he was not happy, citing short notice as his grouse.
He questioned why government should do things with impunity, without regard for the small shop owners who he said were in majority.