By Francis Sadhere, Warri
A Warri based businesswoman, Mrs. Tonia Gbemre has cried foul over an alleged illegal demolition of her property by the state ministry of Urban and Regional Planning.
She, therefore, appealed to the Federal and Delta State governments to come to her aide, alleging that some prominent persons in the area were behind her ordeal.
Mrs. Gbemre, who wept uncontrollably Friday morning while watching her building, including 13 attached shops, being pulled down by officials of Delta State Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Urban Development alleged that the action of the officials amounted to oppression.
Narrating her ordeal to newsmen at the site of the demolished building situated at Block 1, Plot 1 at Federal Government Site and Services Layout, also known as New Ugboroke Layout, Ugboroke-Effurun in Uvwie Local government area, the Businesswoman alleged that the action was carried out contrary to a court order restraining the officials.
The shops were a source of livelihood and entrepreneurial training for Mrs Gbemre, her tenants and several youths who could not lay their hands in any white collar job.
She explained that when the information about the intention of the official’s decision to demolish her building first got to her, she rushed to the court and obtained an injunction restraining the action but was surprised when she was alerted yesterday about an ongoing demolition of her property.
“I rushed to the site and saw people demolishing my property. They were led by one Emmanuel Temewei, the Zonal Planning Officer in charge of Warri/Effurun and Udu local government areas backed by about 20 armed policemen. All my entreaties that the matter is still in court fell on deaf ears.
“Even, the intervention by sympathizers did not move the officials. I have invested over N200 million in the development of the building. How do I start again. Some powerful people and politicians in the estate are behind this demolition”, she alleged.
Asked why the alleged politicians and people were particular in the demolition of her building, Mrs. Gbemre said it appeared they were not happy with the attached shops she constructed on her property.
“They did not tell me specifically that they don’t want the attached shops in the estate. I have all my papers on the land intact except the building approval which is still being processed by Mr. Emmanuel Temewei. I paid him N670,000. Unfortunately, he is the one that led his men with policemen to demolish my property ” she lamented.
Contacted over the incident, the Zonal Planning Officer, Mr. Emmanuel Temewei, denied collecting any money from Mrs Gbemre, adding that he did not lead the team that demolished the property.
He said, “It’s only the state Ministry of Lands that can approve demolition of properties. I have no business in demolition of properties. I don’t even know this Mrs Gbemre you are talking about. So please go to Asaba if you want to get more information.”
Meanwhile, husband of the lady whose property was destroyed, Mr. Zik Gbemre, described the demolition of his wife’s property as illegal, brutal and barbaric.
He said, “All my life I have been fighting for the good of the common man in the Streets. But what has happened today with the destruction of my wife’s property by the Delta State Government under the watchful eyes of Mr Emmanuel Timiwei who led them to that place, is illegal, brutal,and barbaric.
“It is laughable that at this age and time people are still acting like this. A case that has been in court since 2014, someone will just come and carry out demolition while the matter is still in court. This means that the court is no longer the last hope for the common man.”
One of the tenants of the shops, Mrs Lora Ellington, who also spoke to journalists, decried the cruel manner her shop was destroyed along with her baking and catering tools with no prior notice.
Mrs Ellington, a graduate of Mass Communication, whose lack of job led her to catering entrepreneurship, said she had a job to deliver Friday afternoon, but met her tools and wares destroyed.
“They’ve destroyed my gas cooker, oven, show glass, baking flour, bread slicer, and I and my six workers are stranded as you can see,” the mother-of-three lamented amid tears.
