BY CHIDI NKWOPARA

OWERRI—Owners of illegal structures demolished recently by Imo State government in Owerri municipality have expressed disgust over the selective execution of the exercise.

Some of the affected persons, who spoke to Vanguard on the issue, wondered why the governor and his team failed to also demolish the “messy shanties in Ama Hausa.”

Already, some of the affected persons have vowed to remain in the demolished structures since, according to them, selective punishment is sheer injustice.

“I am visibly worried, indeed, shocked, that the governor will willingly destroy the places his brothers and sisters erected to eke out a living.

“My anger, however, boiled over when I noticed that the governor and his team did not touch the messy shanties in Ama Hausa,”, a victim, Emeka Ukata lamented.

Ukata reasoned that Okorocha inherited a clean state capital but sadly left street traders to take over the major roads because he wanted people to see his administration as welfarist and people-oriented.

“He will find it extremely difficult now to summarily sack from the streets those he bought their akara (bean cake) and roasted corn,” Ukata said.

In her own reaction, a housewife that simply identified herself as Nkechi, warned that the effect of the demolition might surface in 2015.

When contacted, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, said government gave owner of the shanties enough time to remove them and relocate to the Relief Market.

“The people were given enough time to leave the streets and relocate to the Relief Market. The illegal structures were destroyed at the expiration of the time frame give by government,” Onwuemeodo said.

He, however, resisted the temptation of being drawn into giving reasons the shanties at Ama Hausa were not demolished.