The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has lamented that it lost over N160 million to the demolition of houses and shops carried out by the Onitsha South Local Government Area on its right-of-way at the River Niger banks.
The Area Manager of NIWA, Mr Suleiman Nicholas, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday, during a joint operation by the Nigerian Navy and Police, along the Niger Street in Onitsha South LGA.
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Nicholas said the joint operation which was carried out to rid NIWA’s Right of Way of illegal occupants, led to the arrest of some officials of “Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra State”, popularly known as “OCHA Brigade.”
He said the agency has suffered intimidation, harassment and loss of revenue, following the alleged illegal activities of the authorities of Onitsha South LGA, which allegedly employed OCHA Brigade officials to intimidate NIWA officials.
He pointed out that the operation by the joint task force was also conducted to remove illegal jetties set up by the authorities of the Onitsha Local Government Area, without the permission of NIWA.
According to him, during the operation carried out by the joint task force on Thursday, four officials of OCHA Brigade and one official of the local government area, said to be managing an “illegal” motor park in NIWA’s right of way, were arrested and their vehicles confiscated and taken to NIWA Area Office.
He said, “The culprits were apprehended for illegally operating in NIWA’s Right of Way and also terrorising traders and illegally demolishing shops in the area.
He said, “NIWA has suffered intimidation, harassment and loss of revenue, following the illegal demolitions and activities of OCHA Brigade officials who are being used to intimidate our officials. NIWA had lost over N160 million to the illegal demolition of houses and shops on its right-of-way.
“We have written several letters to the Onitsha South Local Government Area Chairman, Emeka Orji, over the illegal activities of his officials and he didn’t reply any of the letters, we also wrote requesting an audience with him and he ignored us because he knows the illegal activities he is carrying out with his men on Niger Street.
“Today, we decided that the illegality by the Onitsha South Local Government Area must stop. What happened today is an operation we carried out within our right-of-way. National Inland Waterways Authority on Niger Street in Onitsha.
“You can remember last year that the Onitsha South Local Government and OCHA Brigade, invaded our Right of Way and demolished peoples property and carted away the property of our client, displacing over 4,000 of them and took over position of our Right of Way, and have been collecting revenue after turning the place they demolished houses into motor park and other business activities, operating illegal jetties there.
“We have written several letters to the state government calling their attention on the activities of Onitsha South LGA and OCHA Brigade, but we didn’t get any positive response from them. We have written to the Chairman of Onitsha South LGA, Mr Emeka Orji, to pay him a courtesy visit, being our host, we respected his office, but he ignored us and was conducting illegal activities on our Right of Way.
“After making people lose billions on the illegal demolition, the chairman brought his junior brother and put him there, collecting NIWA revenue for the past year, which amounts to N160 million.
“So today, we felt that the illegal activities of Onitsha South LGA cannot be continued, especially with the recent judgement we got. The joint task force carried out the exercise to rid the area of illegal occupants and in the process arrested five OCHA brigade officials and an official of the LGA. We want to tell them that we have the authority to defend our course and mandate.
“Through collaboration with the Nigerian Navy and Police, we went there today to sanitise and evict illegal occupants on our Right of Way. The operation is continuous, and so far, we have arrested the kingpin of the activities on our right-of-way, who is the brother of Onitsha South Local Government Chairman, and he will be prosecuted.”
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