Anambra Government Insists On Deadline For Removal Of Illegal Structures In Nnewi
The Anambra State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has warned that the deadline for compliance with the statutory notices issued to owners of shanties and illegal structures within the Nnewi metropolis, in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s “Operation Zero Shanties” initiative, will not be extended after its expiration.
The State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barrister Chijioke Ojukwu, stated this when he led officials of the ministry on the second day of the issuance of statutory notices to owners of shanties and illegal structures within the Nnewi metropolis, during which they covered Umudim, Uruagu, Agbo-Edo Market, and Eme Court Layout, where the state government plans to site one of the major projects earmarked for Ndi Nnewi, an area already being cleared and surveyed by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development as directed by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Speaking to journalists after the exercise, Barrister Ojukwu said recipients of the notices must comply with the directives, stressing that the government is serious about the Operation Zero Shanties initiative, which forms part of Governor Soludo’s urban regeneration agenda.
He explained that, in addition to Operation Zero Shanties, the state government, through the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, has launched “Operation Show Your Building Plan,” which targets commercial buildings, plazas, and market establishments to ensure compliance with extant physical planning laws.
The Commissioner noted that the exercise is not limited to Nnewi but will be extended to other parts of the state, as it is a statewide operation, and pointed out that urban regeneration may come with some discomfort but is ultimately in the best interest of the public.
On illegal commercial and residential structures, Barrister Ojukwu advised landlords and landladies whose buildings were marked to submit evidence of planning approval to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for verification, warning that failure to do so within the stipulated two-week period would result in the demolition of such structures by the state government.
