From Emmanuel Uzor, Awka
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has called for an end to demolition of property in various parts of the country.
Reacting on his official X account yesterday, the former Anambra State governor expressed concerns that the exercise would only increase the level of poverty in the country.
“It’s with complete despondency and sadness that I have followed the ongoing demolition of properties across the country, especially knowing the extra hardship such acts have been heaping on hapless citizens, who are already battling with multi-dimensional poverty.
“What a responsive government should be doing under the current harsh economic conditions in the country is to come up with measures aimed at alleviating the people’s hardships and to carry out measures that will take more people out of poverty.”
He noted that even if there were some violations as the governments claimed, the time was not auspicious for such an exercise, knowing the hardship in the land and the consequences it would have on the poor who are struggling to make ends meet with their little resources.
“The poor in our midst who are putting their meagre resources are going through very severe financial stress that should not be multiplied further. In some cases, the properties being demolished are the lifetime savings and retirement abodes of the aged and incapacitated.
“My appeal, therefore, is for the respective governments involved in this act to consider the hardship in the country and try to put a human face to their actions.”