The Enugu State Government has ordered those illegally developing and erecting structures on Milliken Hill, Ngwo, in Enugu North Local Government Area of the state, to forthwith stop all construction and development activities on the hill and vacate the area.

The Stop-work order was contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh, who stressed that failure to comply with the directive will attract the full wrath of the law.

Aroh disclosed that the attention of the state government was drawn to the massive illegal construction works and development on the Milliken Hill, which he said have resulted “in the destruction of its enviable landscape and exposing the entire environment to risk of degradation and erosion”.

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He added that “it is important to state categorically, that the state government is not in any way involved in this callous activity, as all relevant agencies of government, including the Ministry of Environment and the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), did not grant any approval as required by law before the commencement of the development”.

According to the Commissioner, “the perpetrators of this illegal act are hereby ordered to stop all construction and development activities on the Milliken Hill forthwith and vacate the place, as the full wrath of the law will be visited on anyone found violating this order.

“The state government is irrevocably committed to the protection of the natural ecosystem, biodiversity and environment of Milliken Hill”.