Despite a viral video showing homes marked for demolition, farms and crops mowed down by bulldozers, and the cries of the Nchatancha Nike community members, the government of Enugu State has disproved claims of demolitions and forceful ejections from the community.
Community members were seen in the video expressing concern over losing their ancestral homes lamenting that they have no where to move to.
Nchatancha Nike is one of the many communities affected by the ongoing construction of New Enugu City, a smart city flagged off by Governor Peter Mbah in October, 2023.
The government blamed the protests and disturbances, including yesterday’s attack on a bulldozer at the construction site, on land grabbers in the community, who sell portions of the already acquired and gazetted lands to unsuspected buyers, saying some culprits were already in the security net.
It said that although affected communities were already served a notice years ago when the land acquisitions began by previous governments, Mbah’s administration was approaching the mega project with a human face by ensuring that compensations and proper relocations were done before any demolitions. The Secretary to Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, made the clarifications yesterday during a site visit with journalists at Nchatancha Nike where a bulldozer was attacked. He vowed that government would not be deterred in its determination to actualise the first phase of the New City in 24 months as already agreed with the China Communication Construction Company, CCCC, in October.
However, these claims by the government appears to be completely at variance with the complaints of the community members. Watch video of the protests, devastation in the community and impending disaster.
