Maritime school: NIWA to demolish illegal structures

Forum 11 months ago

Maritime school: NIWA to demolish illegal structures

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of National lnland Waterways Authority, Dr George Moghalu, on Monday, ordered the demolition of all illegal structures built on its right of ways in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Moghalu, gave the directive while inspecting the proposed site for the building of a maritime institute at the NIWA’s right of way, near the Nigeria Correctional Centre, Onitsha.

He expressed shock at the increasing number of illegal structures, at the place.

He said, “Since people did not give NIWA any notice to go into its property, NIWA will not give them any notice before it demolishes the properties. Why would I give you notice to quit my property when you did not give me notice to enter the property.

“They entered our right of ways without permission to build and even fence our lands with gates, we will not give them notice before such illegal structures are demolished. These are the people who go about rumouring that NIWA is selling their right of ways.

“There is no truth that NIWA is selling its right of ways in Onitsha or anywhere in Nigeria. If we sell our right of ways, we won’t have any moral justification to demolish structures built on them, like I have ordered that these illegal ones be demolished before Tuesday.

“I am in Onitsha today because there was an issue on NIWA right of way, concerning the maritime institute, that is coming up here in Onitsha. They needed to do the project on the NIWA Right of Way, and there was a little disagreement, but I have come today and we have resolved it.

“We have looked at the site and identified the area that is required for the project and we have given them consent. What we are saying is that the formal application has to be made, the design of what is going to be done there must be provided for NIWA to do its survey and mark out the area in question for them to pay whatever charges that will be required to be paid, so you can see how NIWA operates.

“The truth is that whatever illegal structure erected here on NIWA’s right of ways are without approval; you don’t just go on the NIWA’s right of way and build something, you must apply and we look at what you are going to do to know whether it is relevant to the maritime sub-sector.”