The Benue State Urban Development Board (BSUDB) plans to demolish over 800 houses and shanties constructed on waterways and drainage systems in the state capital. Mr. Mede Ternongo, the General Manager of the Board, disclosed this on Thursday following the demolition of illegal structures and shanties in the state capital. He stated that this action is part of the current administration's efforts to mitigate flooding and restore the masterplan of the state capital.

The initial phase of the operation, which commenced on Thursday, involved the removal of over 40 shanties and illegal structures in the town. Mr. Ternongo emphasized that any structures obstructing access roads in any part of the town would be demolished, urging developers to refrain from erecting unauthorized structures without approval from the board.

"We intend to open up the roads and major access routes in the city. We started with the South Bank area of Makurdi, and soon we will address the North Bank area," he explained. He highlighted issues such as containers encroaching on roadways, reducing road space, and defacing the environment, particularly around the Catholic Church in the North Bank area.

Regarding notifications to affected individuals, Mr. Ternongo stated, "Enough notices were served on the affected people because we do not remove or demolish any property without giving notification." He emphasized the proactive approach taken by involving the media and issuing radio announcements for two weeks to inform the public about the demolition exercise.

The Governor has provided necessary logistics, including bulldozers, payloaders, and operational vehicles, to facilitate the operation. Additionally, discussions have been held with the Governor regarding the construction of a GSM village for mobile phone dealers, with a suitable location identified for the project.

"I have discussed with the Governor on the need to build a GSM village for the mobile phone dealers, and I believe after this exercise, I will go back to him and see how we can commence the building of the village," Mr. Ternongo said. He expressed confidence that the Governor would support the initiative, having accepted the proposed location for the GSM village.

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