Calabar–The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River State has accused Governor Bassey Otu’s administration of selective application of the law in the planned demolition of structures at the Water Board Estate in Calabar, insisting that the move against its deputy governorship candidate, Alphonsus Eba, is a politically motivated vendetta NEGROIDHAVEN can say.
Hundreds of PDP supporters took to the streets of Calabar on Thursday, marching to the party secretariat with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Stop injustice, we warn,” “Leave Alphonsus Eba alone,” and “Cross River belongs to all of us, no intimidation is acceptable”.
Addressing the protesters, PDP State Secretary Joe Obi Bisong while representing the party stats chair, Vena Ikem, said the party could tolerate the government’s poor development record but would not accept targeted injustice against opposition members.
“We could tolerate that level of underdevelopment, but we cannot tolerate the level of injustice,” Bisong said. “If the government has gotten up from its slumber today and wants to right the wrong, let it be done in a manner that will be seen to be justice for all Cross Riverians”.
Bisong noted that Eba was allocated the land while serving as chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but the structure is now marked for demolition after his defection to the PDP and emergence as the party’s deputy governorship candidate.
“Today is the turn of Alphonsus Eba. Tomorrow will be the turn of another PDP person,” he said. “That is why you are here to say enough is enough”.
The Calabar South PDP Chairman, Hon. Felix Ofiong, accused the government of selective application of the law, pointing to houses belonging to serving senior APC officials, former and serving lawmakers, and executive council members within the same area.
“If the state government says that the Water Board was meant for its original purpose, they have to demolish every property,” Ofiong said. “Selective application of justice is injustice. We stand against injustice”.
However, the Cross River State Government has denied any political motive, insisting the demolition exercise is part of a World Bank project condition and not targeted at any individual.
Special Adviser to the Governor on General Duties, Barr. Ekpenyong Akiba, said the action is driven by “overriding public interest” to restore potable water supply to Calabar residents.
“Water projects are usually done with the support of the World Bank. The government has counterpart funds which are hanging for over two years for rehabilitation purposes but nothing can be done without excavation of the old pipes,” Akiba said.
He explained that the Water Board facility was originally for water production, with large underground pipes running through the area, and several residential structures were later developed on the land.
“Are there pipes under those houses? If the answer is in the affirmative, then government can demolish your house because they want to access the pipes so that people can have potable drinking water,” Akiba said.
Akiba added that the exercise is not limited to Eba, noting that houses belonging to a commissioner, a special adviser, former permanent secretaries, and retirees are also marked for demolition.
Eba, however, has maintained that the demolition notice is politically motivated, describing it as “politics taken too far”.
In a related development, the Federal High Court sitting in Calabar on Thursday granted an interim injunction restraining the Cross River State Government from demolishing Eba’s residence pending the hearing and determination of a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by Eba’s counsel.
The Cross River State Government had yet to officially respond to the court order as of the time of filing this report.
