Residents Express Dismay as NEWMAP Demolish Houses in Oluedide Village, Auchi

 

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Residents around the Momoh Primary School and Inu-Umoru axis of Oluedide village have expressed disaffection over what they call unannounced demolition of their apartments on Thursday.

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Officers of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) were seen in the company of Police, PUWOV and Local Vigilante Squads drawn from South-Ibie and Auchi as the demolition exercise took down houses said to have been paid for in full by the Edo State Government during the storm water/erosion control project that was done in the area some years ago.

Speaking to AUCHI BLOGspot , one Omoarebu Femi, a resident of Daz Momoh's house described the exercise as illegal, stating that the demolition is done out of ill intent to make the common man suffer.
"They did not inform us before now that they'll be coming to demolish our houses. I've been living here for years now and as you can see, they are demolishing our house without any notice nor do they have papers to show for what they're doing.
I am confused now. My wife and children have no place to lay their heads tonight." He said.

The Daudu of Oluedide village, Chief Idris Alamin told AUCHI BLOG that although he was not informed about the demolition exercise, he is aware that the houses being demolished have been paid for in full by NEWMAP. On enquiry, he revealed that though the Police had not shown him a warrant for the exercise, they told him that the order was from above.
He also disclosed to ABS that only houses that have been fully paid for will be brought down while others will be negotiated going forward.

On his part, Mr. T, a spokesperson for the Association of Landlords in the affected area while speaking to The Community's Eye over the phone stated that the issue of whether NEWMAP could go ahead and claim the properties having paid certain amounts to various house owners is still being held in court.
He said that the case which held on the 2nd of June was adjourned to the 19th of July and maintained that they (the landlords in the affected area) will continue to follow the path of the law on the matter.

Furthermore, #ABS observed that some houses that are marked %💯 ❌ by NEWMAP were being unroofed by their owners (who were taking out useful materials) even though their houses were yet to be demolished.

It should be noted that while Edo State NEWMAP is laying claim to the houses that are said to have been compensated, the majority of the landlords in the the area are claiming that the monies they got were for temporary relocation pending when the gully erosion project was addressed.