The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has
strongly condemned the ongoing demolition of private properties by
government agencies in different parts of Nigeria, especially Lagos State.
Obi said the exercise was even more painful given that most of the
demolitions were carried out without prior notice to the affected owners.
His reaction comes amid the recent demolition of shops and businesses
belonging to traders in Lagos.
Taking to his X handle, the former governor of Anambra State said the
administration whose policies and style have sent several million
Nigerians into poverty in just 29 months should show compassion for its
citizens.
He regretted that the demolition is happening at a time when the
government ought to be lifting citizens out of poverty, not plunging them
deeper into hardship.
According to him, the demolitions destroy livelihoods, undermine
businesses, and threaten the economic security of hardworking citizens.
The former governor revealed that many of the demolished shops
contained goods worth billions of naira, which represented years of
investment, and wondered the legal authority justifies that destruction of
private property.
He urged the government to ensure that urban development and
enforcement respect the rule of law and the rights of the people.
