ENUGU — DESPITE a sub-sisting order of an Enugu State High Court, restraining Enugu State Government from demolishing stalls at the Old Park Market in Enugu metropolis without first relocating the 890 affected traders, the state government has pulled down stalls in the market.
Apart from the statutory shop owners in the market, no fewer than 2,000 other traders doing business in the market are to be displaced as the state government had served a fresh eviction notice to enable it demolish the entire structures in the market with effect from today.
In the first phase of the demolition exercise carried out under the supervision of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, about 66 stalls were brought down, while the remaining 824 were marked for demolition.

demolition: Demolition at Old Park Market in Enugu. INSETS: Traders affected by the exercise.
Government had last year indicated interest to relocate the traders in the market to enable it erect a shopping mall in the place and asked the affected traders to move to the new market on Aria Road.
The suit
However, when government began to issue quit notices to the affected traders, the traders proceeded to court on the ground that the so-called alternative allocation was not real.
In the suit on their behalf by Ifeanyichukwu Eneh against the state government and Enugu Capital Territory, the traders had sought the protection of their property rights.
The court had, in both interim and interlocutory orders, restrained the state government from demolishing the stalls without providing alternative place to the affected traders.
Some of the affected traders, who spoke on the development, yesterday, said they were shocked to arrive their shop on Friday to discover a notice from the state government, urging them to “park out without an alternative place,” even when there was a subsisting court order barring government from demolishing the stalls.
A victim’s story
Chief Ahara, one of the affected traders, said: “We are not against government doing whatever it wants to do with the place. What we are saying is that many of us have paid rents in advance, running into millions, to the same state government.
“They asked for the rents, collected them and never told us that we are not wanted at the place. This is where we do our business. Many of us have two to three shops here.
“What we are asking for is that they show us alternative places to do our business.”
In a statement on their behalf by their counsel, Tagbo Ike, they condemned the action of the state government as not only dictatorial but barbaric.
He said: “We watch in awe and total amazement the orchestrated demolitions and threats of further demolitions of market stalls of our clients at Old Park, Ogbete Market, Enugu, by the government through the instrumentality of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority despite a subsisting and extant order of the High Court of Enugu State stopping the demolition.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/890-traders-displaced-as-enugu-demolishes-old-park-market/

if this had happened in Lagos

The old disorganized and chaotic way of running markets across Nigeria must give way gradually to a more organized form of product-retailing.


Change must come to our open markets.

This enugu state governor doesn't like us because we are industrious!
This is genocidal!
Efulefu at it again!

seanet02: if this had happened in Lagos

When will we get what is happening in Nigeria? The Cabals have ran out ideas. There are no more new grounds to steal from. They have to squeze the poor people in order to create more avenues for making money for themselves and their cronies.

If the Governor is sincere, why not build a new market in a new ground? Why not rebuild the New market which is even better positioned?

The sole goal is to take over the choice area.

Until we the poor learn how to fight these people; we will keeping being loosers in the Nigerian Equation. The evils of Capitalism have come to live with us.

The Capitalist in Europe conquered nature. Those of African decent only know how to conquer and steal from the poor.

No invention, no innovation, no research, no thinking, no originality.

Simple palm wine we have not been able to refine, package,market and sell. Simple Yam and Casava we have not been able to process, preserve, package and sell. Simple farming we have not been able to mechanize.

Only steal from the poor and squeze them.

In Lagos, Fashola is taxing without creating Jobs, in Enugu, Sulivan is wants to take over the market from the Poor. I luagh; the end is near.

When the squezeing get to a breaking point; we will all understand what we are saying. The end is at sight

Like what someone here has rightly said, if this incident had happened in Lagos;

.

Hahahahaha, my visa is out, on my way to chicken republic.

END TYM THINGS

Thank God no be lagos e dey happen

Demolition of houses,markets,stalls etc is a normal occurrence now in virtually all states while Abuja tops the list.Is it always difficult for government to make alternative arrangement before demolition?

Tolexander: This enugu state governor doesn't like us because we are industrious!
This is genocidal!
Efulefu at it again!

onye ara

Noooooo!!

Meaning my utara n ofe onugbu woman don go?!
Why?
That woman soup na die! Ewo!! *sigh of nostalgia*

This is a welcome development, that market is an eyesore. Nonetheless, i'm a bit worried about how governor Chime is going about it. The least he should have done was to compensate the affected traders. I sure hope that is still in the offing.

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APC has started again oooo

Lordave: onye ara

onye osi

Now we won't hear Ibos screaming murder....abi??

They can only shout if it happened in the west..

Fashola What again, We are igbos and we know u hate us so much. Oh my Bad, its Enugu not Lagos

That must have been Fashola's idea. He hates ibos so much he's gone to disturb them in their homelands.

If this demolision was done by Lagos state gov or any South western state gov, imagine what my brothers would have said by now.

seanet02: if this had happened in Lagos

..... they will say FASHOLA hate IGBO's

Abi no be wetin u wan talk!!

I'm happy that many folks can now see through the hypocrisy and Bigotry of the Ibos who usually scream when issues concerning their people in SW comes up. The hypocrites are all silent, they've lost their voices since there's no Yoruba or APC person to blame.

eiya Ojo ki chateko me ETTINX

Hope chime will find a quick alternative for them no one have the monopoly to rule one destiny