By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

An Onitsha, Anambra State-based businessman, Uzoeto Sabest, has lamented the loss of his N600m property located at Silas Works Road, Onitsha, which was pulled down on Monday on the orders of Onitsha South Local Government Chairman, Chief Emeka Orji.

He described the action as callous, insensitive and smacking of high-handedness by the council chairman.

Speaking to journalists at the site of the demolished buildings, Uzoeto, who was almost in tears called on the Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to prevail on the chairman to hands off his property.

He said that contrary to the narrative of Chief Orji that he does not have documents of the land, he has Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), approval plan and all other documents of the land.

The businessman said: ?Chief Orji destroyed my buildings accommodating traders, most of whom are petty traders who use the place to earn living.

?He is destroying the premises worth over N600 million; he has also succeeded in removing food from the tables of the families of these traders. Goods and wares were equally destroyed and carted away by Orji?s men.?

While lamenting that the destruction took place without due process and regard to the court, Uzoeto said that he has been in court with the council chairman over the land since 2023.

He added: ?Where is justice? Where do the citizens take refugee if they can?t run to court for protection? It is anarchy that they are creating, and it will not be good for all of us.

?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 me 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.

?Not satisfied, Orji?s men pasted a notice on my 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.?

According to him, Uzoeto, one day he received a call from a woman who said she did not like the way the council chairman was talking about him.

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

?In January this year? Orji?s men came again and wrote on our walls ?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. 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

?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). I then left the place but there were flurry of phone calls as Orji and his cohorts demolished the structures and 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?.

The businessman 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.

Narrating his story further, Uzoeto said that what they destroyed in the place was about N700 million.

He called on men of good conscience to prevail on Chief Orji and his cohorts to leave him alone.

But Chief Orji in an interview with journalists insisted that the building does not have C of O, saying: ?That they have given the businessman enough notice, hence the demolition.

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

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