Traders and artisans in Enugu are counting there looses after  illegal  structures  including  road side markets,  mechanics workshops was  demolished by the  Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) on Thursday.

The Agency in a development control activity at Reno layout, Emene Enugu, Enugu, on Thursday, demolished over 150 illegal market shops, zinc shanties, fences, mechanic workshops, warehouses, factories in residential areas and restored the city’s master plan.

 According to Chairman of the ECTDA, Dr. Josef Onoh, who stated that his arm of demolition  is  restored roads and streets in the capital city that were previously hijacked by traders and artisans who converted them to illegal shops and mechanic workshops.
Onoh stated that the administration of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was so compassionate that it motivates and supports growth of small scale businesses, but not at the detriment of the capital city development plan.

READ ALSO Enugu Govt recovers streets converted to market, workshops, demolishes 150 illegal structures

The demolition, according to an eyewitness, started in the morning on Thursday with a bulldozer accompanied by some  govt officials.

 It was also  gathered that the traders were notified and given the opportunity to remove all their belongings before the demolition was carried out.

Uche onourah a trader in one of the shops demolished said the exercise was irrational as it would only compound the hardship that people are already going through, considering the low patronage that they were trying to manage with

“Before now we were complaining of low patronage and now for some of us, we don’t even know where and how to start with this demolition. Our means of livelihood has been taken, and it is very unfortunate that this is happening now that the majority of the traders cannot afford to rent new shops due to the economic hardship,” uche lamented.

Another trader who pleaded anonymity frowned at the state government’s policy of demolition of shops across the state. He said the demolition exercise was not done in the interest of the masses, adding that it would only plunge the residents into more hardship.

“Yes, we are aware of the urban developments of  the government, but even at that, the government must always consider the masses,” the person said.

“What’s the alternative for the people? Yes, development is good, but the way and manner the government is going about it is rendering people useless as they lose their means of livelihood.”

He urged the government to always consider the people in coming up with any economic policy.

“With this development, I am yet to recover from the shock because I am already disorganized, and I believe it is the same for many other people,” he said.