Tears, lamentation as govt pulls down buildings in Yenagoa

Residents of Bossy Water Street in the outskirt of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital are still wallowing in pains and lamentations of having the property they built with their life savings being demolished as the Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board pulls down buildings in the area to pave way for high tension lines. However, […]

Residents of Bossy Water Street in the outskirt of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital are still wallowing in pains and lamentations of having the property they built with their life savings being demolished as the Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board pulls down buildings in the area to pave way for high tension lines. However, residents feel this is a clear case of oppression as a case is pending in court to stop the demolition. Daily Trust Saturday reports.

Despite the rising cost of building materials and the harsh economic situation in the country, the Bayelsa State Government has continued to demolish structures seen as illegally erected in Yenagoa, the state capital. 

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The predicament of the residents of Bossy Water Street, off Tombia-Amassoma Road, Yenagoa, has become more worrisome as the Physical Planning and Development Board has pulled down buildings said to have been approved by the state government’s regulating agency before they were constructed.

Since the inception of the Governor Douye Diri administration in 2020, there has been “total war” on illegal structures in the state, especially in Yenagoa.

Several buildings, market stalls and other structures said to be built outside specification have been touched, while the property owners are still languishing in pain of losing accommodation most of them built while in active service.

The situation on Bossy Water Street seems different from the normal demolition of illegal structures, according to the affected property owners. 

They said their buildings were pulled down to pave way for a high tension line being erected by influential personalities in the area.

Ekeuwei had on July 27, led personnel from the board and security agents to carry out the demolition exercise on Bossy Water Street on the grounds that the structures were built on the right of way.

Already, a three-man fact finding committee set up by the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has visited the area and condemned government’s action even when the matter is before the state high court. The affected landlords said they had written a petition to the rights group over what they described as unlawful demolition of their property.

One of the property owners, Rosaline Nyingifa, said the demolition came following a running battle between them and some residents in the interior part of the road over high tension power lines. 

She questioned the rationale behind the selective demolition after the deputy governor had instructed the board not to destroy any house on the street.

According to her, despite a petition to the Commissioner of Police in the state, the government went ahead to inflict pain on innocent property owners by “demolishing our buildings.”

A retiree, Pastor Ebinyo Ogbowei, said his publishing office and water facility he built with loans were demolished, leaving him with no source of income.

He said, “When we bought land here, there was no road, but government approved the buildings and road was later created for us, we lived and developed this place, but we were surprised to see physical planning and development board bringing bulldozers to bring down our buildings without any notice.

“I built this house with the proceeds from loans which I’m still paying, now they have pulled down my publishing office and water facility which I used to get income and fend for myself as a retiree. 

Another resident, Mr Seleko Power, said his four shops, an office and gate were demolished. 

The Chairman of the CLO’s three-man fact finding committee to ascertain the cause of pulling down buildings without notice, Mr Alagoa Morris, condemned the action of the planning and development board while the matter was in court.

He expressed displeasure at the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company’s action of running the high tension line over roofs of a densely populated residential area, urging the court to take action.

Speaking during the demolition exercise, the Chairman, Bayelsa State Physical Planning and Development Board, Ekeuwei, said the action of the board was backed by an ex parte motion secured from the Physical Planning and Development Tribunal.

He said the affected buildings were built on government’s right of way and under high tension line, hence the demolition.

He said, “I will advise Bayelsans, don’t build on the right of way, don’t build under high tension lines, don’t build extension to already approved building, because that is alteration to the plan of the property that you have developed.

“Bayelsans should learn to respect the law, we are clearing the right of way, always seek advice from the physical planning and development board when you want to build.”