Uyo Capital City Agency Accused of Negligence After Demolition Damages Shoe Factory
An Akwa Ibom-based entrepreneur and shoemaker, Utoone Ekefre, has accused the Uyo Capital City Development Agency (UCCDA) of negligence after a demolition exercise along Aka Road allegedly caused extensive damage to her factory, office space and production equipment.
Ekefre, known for her premium footwear brand and recently recognized for showcasing her products in Canada, said several machines and work tools were destroyed when a structure being demolished beside her facility reportedly collapsed into her workspace without prior warning.
Photographs from the scene showed heaps of rubble, damaged furniture, production equipment and debris scattered across the affected section of the factory.
In an emotional post on Facebook, the entrepreneur recounted how her staff narrowly escaped injury when the wall came down unexpectedly during working hours. According to her, the affected room serves multiple purposes, including housing industrial machines, training students, accommodating staff activities and even functioning as part of her personal living space with her daughter.
“How do you want to demolish a house beside a building and not alert the people around?” she queried, expressing frustration over what she described as a lack of communication and safety measures by officials handling the exercise.
The incident has sparked concerns about the manner in which the demolition operation was conducted. Critics argue that while urban renewal and the removal of illegal structures may be necessary, authorities have a responsibility to ensure adequate notice, proper risk assessment and the protection of adjoining properties before carrying out such exercises.
For Ekefre, the damage comes at a particularly difficult time. She disclosed that she is still recovering financially from the recent opening of a new store and now faces additional losses from damaged equipment and disrupted operations. The entrepreneur is calling for intervention and compensation, insisting that small businesses striving to create jobs and contribute to the state’s economy should not become casualties of government actions carried out without sufficient safeguards.
As of press time, the Uyo Capital City Development Agency had not issued any official response to the allegations.
