ENUGU GOVT. DEMOLISHES MFM CHURCH

The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, MFM, a popular church in
Enugu was, yesterday, demolished by Enugu State Government.
The large worship centre, located at the foot of the ZikAvenue Bridge
in EnuguState capital, was demolished after it was said to be sitting
illegally on two plots of about 2,000 square metres.
The pastors and members of the church, who were said to have been
praying for God's intervention in the matter since the government
declared its intention to demolish the building last year, watched
helplessly as four bulldozers reduced the one-storey structure to
rubble.
They rushed into the building and moved the church property to one
side of the auditorium, pleading with the officials of Enugu Capital
Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, who were supervising the
demolition, to spare the property.
Law enforcement agents, comprising men of the Police Mobile Force and
the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, prevented some
youths of the church from stopping ECTDA officials from demolishing
the structure. No arrests were made.
Enugu government had declared the building illegal, saying it was
built along the Asata stream, allegedly violating the state's town
planning laws.
However, the church had dragged the state government to court and
obtained an injunction restraining government from demolishing the
building.
But while the matter was in court, government allocated another land
to the church with a directive to the church leaders to relocate
without delay.
The alternative allocation was situated at Emeka Ebilla Avenue off
Agbani Road, but the church was said to be reluctant in relocating the
popular worship centre, insisting that government must pay
compensation to enable it erect another building at the new location.
Government, however, declined and reportedly gave the church some
months to vacate the building, which was thereafter marked for
demolition.
A pastor of the church, Kennedy Udogaranya, said that the church and
officials of the state's Ministry of Lands had engaged in dialogue
over the issue, but they were surprised to see government officials
with bulldozers yesterday.
He said that the church could not gain access to the new land
allocated to them because of the dispute between Ngwo and Amechi
people over the land.
He explained that the church had informed the government of the
difficulties in relocating to the place and officially requested for
time to enable the two communities settle their differences over
ownership of the land.
The pastor said that the haste with which the government demolished
the building had given the impression that government had other
motives for the demolition.
Udogaranya said even though government had given them an alternative
location, they should not be evicted in a hurry as the church would
not conduct services on an undeveloped plot.
A statement by the Commissioner for Enugu Capital Territory
Development Authority, Mr. Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, yesterday, said
government demolished the structure because "it was illegal and
unapproved as an application for approval was considered and rejected
in March 2012."
He said that the reasons for the rejection of the application included
"overbuilding of the property, with more than 100 percent built upon,
encroaching into stream and road reserves, construction outside the
purpose of the property as the area was designated for commercial
development and not for institutional use.
"There was evidence of structural instability. There was evidence of
failure of some of the reinforced concrete elements at the northern
end of the basement area of the structure."
"No responsible government will stand and permit a predictable
catastrophe to befall its people ."
He said government had already identified other structures "which must
be brought down to prevent any unsafe condition or illegal structure
from remaining."