Labour Party presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, Peter Obi, has denounced the demolition of properties deemed illegal in different parts of the country.
Obi, in a post made on his X page on Thursday, called on the federal government to put on a human face and show compassion to the “poor masses”.
“It’s with complete despondency and unhappiness that I have followed the ongoing demolitions 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.
“My appeal therefore is for the respective governments involved in this act to consider the hardship in the country and try and put a human face to their actions. While we should enforce sensible regulations, all actions of government must show compassion.”
The former Anambra State Governor also said “Even if there are violations as the governments are claiming, this critical time is not auspicious for such an exercise knowing the hardship in the land and the consequences it will have on the poor who are struggling to make ends meet with their little resources.”
He further stated that the government should come up with measures to alleviate hardship under the current economic situation of the country, rather than “multiply their financial stress”.
“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.
“The poor in our midst who are putting their meager resources are going through very severe financial stress that should not be multiplied further. In some cases, the properties being demolished are the life time savings and retirement abodes of the aged and incapacitated,” he said.
Chioma Kalu
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