Delta State government has marked out a church and several other shanties at Effurun, Ovwie Local Government Area of the state for demolition.
The structures, built on natural water channels, will be pulled down as earlier warned by the Ministry of Environment in the state.
Commissioner of Environment, Honourable frank Omare, in a chat with journalists at Victory Street, Off Refinery Road, Effurun, said government was firm and determined to ensure that Deltans live in healthy environment.
Omare, who took journalists round to see the houses already marked for demolition, said that those with and without approval would face similar fate so long as the buildings were directly on government specified areas.
According to him, those who have approvals may have done so in error, adding that those who gave illegal approvals would be punished, as well as those who erected such structures on natural water ways.
Meanwhile, speaking at the Effurun Central Headquarters of the Celestial Church of Christ, the church that had been marked for demolition, the commissioner said “clearly, what I want all Deltans and Nigerians to appreciate is that the government is not witch hunting anybody. We just want to ensure that the flood that we are expecting do not affect our people and that is what we are doing
In another development< Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Council Transition Committee, Delta State, Chief Friday Akpoyibo, has said that the council will demolish illegal structures blocking natural waterways in the area. Akpoyibo, who addressed newsmen in his office, said: “I want to assure the people of the council of flood free rainy season,” adding that his administration was committed to the human and infrastructural development of the council. Noting that the council was committed to the welfare of teachers, he said that the council had embarked on the building of toilets and sanitary pits for staff and pupils of primary schools in the locality. He said: “My administration has completed some abandoned and ongoing projects it met when we came on board in November last year; the council’s staff canteen is now wearing a new look. “We have embarked on the repair and maintenance of the council’s broken down graders and tractors and when functional put into use, we will commence the immediate grading of streets within the council. “The council has also embarked on the perimeter fencing of the Ughelli public field.”