10, 000 buildings to be demolished in Akwa Ibom

File photo: Demolition

By Kazeem Ibrahym

Worried by the increasing rate of building collapse in the country, the Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA) yesterday said it would soon demolish over 10,000 buildings within Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

The demolition, according to UCCDA’s Chairman, Ignatius Edet, is part of the moves to sanitise Uyo.

Edet spoke with reporters during the demolition of a one-storey building at 97, Oron road.

He said: “We don’t want to see any building that will collapse and kill people. The building is not fit for people to live in.”

The chairman explained that occupants of the dilapidated building have been given one week to leave.

His words: “Yesterday was the expiration date for all illegal structures that have defaced UCCDA. We gave one week ultimatum for residents to remove such.

“The essence is to sanitise Uyo and make it clean because of the uncommon transformation agenda of Governor Godswill Akpabio. Uyo capital city has become a destination for both residents and outsiders. So we must make it clean.

“There are so many more buildings to be demolished in Uyo. It is over 10,000. Like in the University of Uyo, we have over 2,900 buildings that have encroached into the university main campus.”

When the UCCDA team arrived at 97 Oron Road for the demolition, occupants were seen evacuating their property.

Some of them blamed their continued stay in the structure on poverty.

Culled from The Nation