By Polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
Chief Clifford Iloegbune Okoye Esq, a legal practitioner based in Onitsha and counsel to UPJA Joist and Plank Traders, Bridgehead Market Onitsha, Anambra State, has called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo to prevail on the Chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area of the State, Hon. Emeka Orji, from demolishing the shops of his clients.
Okoye’s call was sequel to a notice from the Local Government that it would demolish “illegal and obstructive structures in and around Onitsha South Local Government Area”.
In the notice titled ” Final Notice of Demolition” and signed by the Secretary of Onitsha South Local Government, Paul Onuachalla, the LG warned: Please note that Building Certificates of Occupancy, approvals etc may not always be a good alibi/defence in certain circumstances”
The notice with reference number OSLG/AD/CH/198 and dated December 23, 2024 which made available to newsmen went on to advise owners or occupiers to remove their goods or any other valuables before embarking on Christmas vacation.
Addressing newsmen in Onitsha based on the notice, the Counsel to the UPJA traders, Chief Clifford Iloegbune Okoye Esq called on Governor Soludo to prevail on the Chairman and his people from demolishing his clients’ shops.
He said the UPJA traders are peace loving and that is why they dragged Hon. Orji to Court as the last hope for a common man when he pulled down their plaza worth over N500m, the case which has the suit number:NO:0335/2023 which he said is still pending in the High court.
The lawyer said since they instituted the case, Orji had made attempts to demolish his clients’ shops, which led to an order by Justice Onyefulu asking the parties to stay calm pending the determination of the matter after he had filed a motion for interlocutory injunction.
He said the importance of the order was that his client should not build any structure again, while Onitsha South Local Government should not demolish anything again in the Market.
Okoye said: “We are surprised that the order not withstanding, with the matter still in court, my clients have continued to receive threats of demolition. Onitsha South is making cladestine to move inside the Market during this Christmas holidays to demolish their shops”.
He said out of courtesy he called the Local Government Chairman who insisted that they would demolish the shops .
Okoye said he has also gone out of his way to call his colleague, the defence counsel in the case they instituted against Orji and forwarded the copy of the demand notice to the Attorney General of the State who is also a party in the matter.
The lawyer said he has done all this to show that his clients are peace loving person and they want peace, stressing that there is no law that allowed Orji to wake up and start demolishing people’s properties.
“Demolition of illegal structures is not within the ampit of Local Government Chairman. It is within the ampit of town planning authority” Okoye said even as he accused Hon. Orji of having ulterior motive in his planned demolition.
Okoye said: ‘We were reliably informed that all this shananigans of Hon. Orj is aimed at reclaiming some portions of land in the Market where he wants to build personal plazas.And I want to tell him that it would not work.The Governor should be aware of this pending danger at the Bridgehead market’ said Okoye who was the former Chairman of Nigeria Bar. Association (NBA), Aguata Branch.
When contacted the Onitsha South local government Secretary, Paul Onuachala who signed the notice of demolition on his mobile phone he said the area marked for demolition is not part of the UPJA Market open space or subject of litigation in any court in Nigeria.
He further said nothing concerns UPJA Market and a place where they pested notice of demolition.
His text message reads” Finally, the area marked for demolition is not part of timber open space or part of proceeding in court. On
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