By Our Reporter
Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has embarked on fresh demolition exercise in the state. This time around the popular Shell Camp Quarters, located on Orlu Road Owerri, pulling down buildings belonging to retired civil servants and rendering them homeless and helpless this rainy season.
It has been loud lamentation since Saturday, July 1 when Okorocha’s bulldozers made their way to the Quarters accompanied by armed miscreants clutching Dane guns and smoking Indian hemp as they shouted at the residents to dare them or be dealt with.
The panic which the development has generated in the Owerri is likely going to degenerate to something else by Monday, July 3 when work resumes fully. The affected residents have raised concern that demolishing their property during rainy season is the highest show of wickedness and impunity from any responsible government that swore to protect the lives and property of her citizens.
Those affected by the demolition are mainly retired civil servants, some federal and some state, and most of them said they bought the property they are living in from the Federal Government and have their Certificate of Occupancy (C-o-O) that indicates that the property was sold to them by the federal government.
As we report, the relics of the demolished property are still lying outside and being drenched by the rain.
One of the retired servants told TheNiche that her fence and boys quarters had been pulled down and that there is a bulldozer stationed in front of her house for no just cause.
She further said that the government has not given her any notice neither was she told any plans for compensation assuming government genuinely wants to take over her property.
But a government official who spoke to us said he was not competent to speak on the recent development not withstanding that he is an insider. However, he said the Shell Camp property in question belongs to Alvan Ikoku Federal college of Education which is a federal government institution.