Aftermath of N100m filing station demolition


Akwa Ibom state gov’t and a private citizen are in tango over a demolished filing station for which the victim is demanding for compensation. UKO ETIM reports.

Akwa Ibom state government through its Ministry of Works and Fire Service has demolished a private filling station in Nsit Atai local government area of the state and defied court injunction for compensation.The demolition exercise occurred on April 9, 2021 and was reportedly supervised by officials of the Ministry of Works/ Fire Service led by its commissioner, Prof Eno Ibanga, in collaboration with  and armed security operatives numbering about 20.The station which stood at No 5 Odot Road, Ndon Ikot Itie Udung, Nsit Atai, was pulled down alongside its fence, office equipment, diesel generating set, three pumps, three underground tanks and other items.


How it all started


In September 2019, the construction firm, without any compensation paid, reportedly acting on the orders of the ministry which was then under the supervision of one Mr Ephraim Inyangeyen, who is now Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Chief of Staff, removed concrete slabs at the entrance of the property, making it impossible for customers to throng the station for business. A section of the fence was also destroyed during the exercise. It was gathered that all correspondences sent by the property owner to the ministry were not attended to.Court papers filed by the victim alleged that the destroyed fence led to floods taking over the station and breaking the manhole, as well as entering underground tanks and destroying petroleum products.The victim had prayed the court to order the Ministry of Works to pay compensation for damages amounting to 100 million naira.


The statement of claim


His statement of claim gave a breakdown of the damages as, “Value of building (N50m); value of three pumps, N6,000,000 at N2,000,000 each; three underground tanks at N30m; Perkins Diesel Generator (N10m); office equipment (N850,000); fence (N5m); two million naira monthly from September 2019 until judgment is delivered for loss of earnings; N16,830,000 cost of 99,000 litres of petrol lost in three underground tanks at #170 per litres; N10 million as Cost of Action.”Sources say the ministry declined revealing the value of the property arrived at by its valuer(s), but a valuer contracted by the property owner pegs its value at around 30 million naira.The victim’s Statement of Claim in court also alleged that the ministry had also ordered the demolition of another filling station owned by the victim in Oron also within the state.Blueprint gathered that the victim, Apostle Joseph Peter Eyoh, was on April 1 2021 invited via his lawyer to collect compensation money in respect of his property at Nsit Atai.The invitation was through a letter issued and signed on behalf of the commissioner by one Barr Iniobong M. George.”The cheque was ready and is awaiting collection at the Ministry of Works and Fire Service, Uyo and that some property not captured are seriously being looked into and when the cheque is ready, you would be contacted,” part of the letter reads.


Executive arrogance


Addressing demand by the property owner for the ministry to re-evaluate the property, the letter mentioned that it was ‘seriously considered’.On arrival, available report said Apostle Eyoh was reportedly directed by the commissioner to withdraw the case from court, that the sum of 13 million naira would be paid to him as compensation – a figure way below the N30m value earlier pegged by the owner’s valuer.When Eyoh, a 70-year-old man with two wives and 15 children rejected the offer, the commissioner reportedly told him and one of his sons that he would have to apply executive power. Eyoh, however, was said to have told the commissioner that he would brief his lawyer before signing any money-related document in the commissioner’s office.Therefore, as a way of making good his promise of applying executive power, the commissioner personally supervised the demolition amid heavy presence of armed security operatives.When contacted, the works/ fire service commissioner said, “He (victim) is in court, my response on the case would be subjudice.”

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