Onitsha
This not the best of times for self-acclaimed Prophet, Chukwuemeka Ohanaeme popularly known as Odumeje as his Church, Mountain of Holy Ghost Intervention and Deliverance Ministry inc at Bida Road Fegge-Onitsha was on Thursday demolished by Anambra State government.
It was gathered that Odumeje’s church blocked the Nwangene-Otumoye Sakamori/ drainage way within Fegge-Onitsha environs.
TNC Correspondent who monitored the demolition exercise carried out by the Anambra State Joint Task Force on demolition of illegal building, reports that the church as well as other buildings around the area have been served notice to remove the structures since April this year.
Also during the exercise, a school building belonging to St Dominic Parish, Fegge as well as a warehouse belonging to a popular Anambra billionaire were also demolished.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo had said in the first week of his inauguration that his administration will remove all illegal structures and demolish buildings on flood channels in the state.
According to him, all structures whether churches, industries or residential buildings built along flood channels like Sakamori, Nwangene stream, and other areas would be pulled down soon.
However, as the demolition was going, the self-acclaimed Prophet maneuvered a security formation guarding the operation and jumped into the bulldozer demolishing the buildings.
He started making a lot of noise in a bid to obstruct the exercise.
Immediately, security operatives pounced on him and whisked him away from the scene.
Speaking with TNC correspondent, the leader of the operation who preferred to remain anonymous due to how sensitive the exercise was, said they have the orders of Governor Chukwuma Soludo to arrest him if he makes further trouble.
“This lawlessness cannot be tolerated anymore.
“These people were properly served and they refused to obey.
“It is enough that they blocked waterways with their buildings all these years and insisting that such illegality will continue is not acceptable,” the official warned.
Meanwhile, residents of the area have commended the governor for being resolute in his efforts to clean up the Onitsha cosmopolitan city.
According to them, impunity in structural development had thrived in the city due to lack of willpower by successive administrations to tackle it.
“This exercise is proof enough that Soludo means business when he said he wants to do urban renewal in the state.
“Government must begin to look after the welfare of the generality of the masses, not minding the interest of the minority rich who are bent on doing the wrong thing.
“We are happy for this action and we pray that the governor extends the action to other parts of the state,” the pleaded.
