By Our Correspondent
The Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, has extended the pre-demolition notice issued to owners of alleged illegal structures in parts of Onitsha from seven days to fourteen days, after an editorial by The RAZOR Newspaper faulted the one-week ultimatum as too short.
Governor Soludo had earlier, in a viral video, directed persons occupying or claiming ownership of structures around Otumoye Creek in Onitsha South Local Government Area to submit their property documents within seven days or face demolition.
However, in an editorial titled “Governor Soludo, Seven-Day Pre-Demolition Notice Is Too Short,” written by The RAZOR Editor, Tony Okafor, the newspaper criticised the notice, arguing that it fell short of the requirements of fairness, due process and the constitutional right to fair hearing.
The editorial maintained that seven days was insufficient for affected property owners to assemble documents, seek legal counsel or pursue regularisation.
After the editorial, the Anambra State Government issued a fresh public notice extending the submission deadline to fourteen working days.
According to the notice from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, all persons laying claim to parcels of land at Otumoye Creek are required to submit relevant ownership documents, including allocation letters, Certificates of Occupancy, approved building plans and other valid title documents, within the new fourteen-day window.
The notice, signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Nkeiru Mokwe, Esq., on behalf of the Commissioner for Lands, warned that submissions made after the expiration of the fourteen working days would not be received or considered.
The extension follows the setting up of an Executive Committee by Governor Soludo for the recovery of government land in the area and has been widely interpreted as a response to public concerns amplified by The RAZOR Editorial.
Residents and stakeholders have welcomed the extension, describing it as a more reasonable approach that balances urban development objectives with the need for due process and protection of citizens’ rights.
