The Management of Breathe Lounge and Bar, Independence Layout, Enugu, has urged Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah to intervene in the ordeal faced by the company at the hands of the Enugu Capital Territory and Development Authority (ECTDA), led by Engr Uche Anya.
Speaking with newsmen in Enugu, the Leader of the management team, Mr Tochukwu Okeke, said Engr Uche Anya, who is also their neighbour, has become a thorn in their flesh with a series of disruptions to their activities, including the sealing of the business, harassment, and the use of alarms to disperse their customers, among others.
He stated that there are grapevine reports that their neighbour, Uche Anya, wants to embark on demolishing the property in the name of ECDTA, which they have invested over five hundred million Naira to organize, with over 60 staff on their payroll.
According to him, ” When we thought about the idea of establishing this firm, we had other states in mind but chose Enugu as the capital of the south east.
” I am from Anambra State but bred in Lagos but, we saw the serene and conducive environment provided by the state Government and decided to invest”.
“We went to Enugu Capital Territory and Development Agency and met with the then chairman, Mr Joseph Umunnakwe Onoh, who encouraged us to kick-start our firm”
“We obtained all the necessary paperworks and made all the payments with architectural designs of what we want to do”
“They were all approved and we began to build, using the building plans”
“Though, this place was given to us on lease by the owners, we still made sure that, it’s antiquated nature was modernised”
“We started operation in july 2023 before Engr Anya took over as the capital territory chairman in August” .
“When he was appointed and we visited him in the office as our neighbour, he told us that, our business won’t work so long as he is still the chairman of ECDTA”
“Engr Anya told us that, what was remaining was for our neighbours to complain and once they do that, we would park out”
“He said he had sometime in 1999 asked the owner to sell the said property to him but he refused and wondered why, his children would later sell it to an outsider”
“We begged him to at least, collect our items and also told him that, we have been leaving peacefully with those in the neighbourhood and have never received complaint in any form”
Mr Okeke also narrated further ordeals that the company had after the said first meeting with the ECDTA boss, whom he said, has been busy issuing press statement against their firm.
He posited that, the State Government through the SSG had intervened in the said brouhaha last year as well as the Governor.
“After series of threats, Engr Anya came and sealed this establishment and asked us to sign an affidavit that there would be no music before he would open it again.”
“Our Establishment sealed for over 17days and we were asked to pay a contravention fee of ₦250,000 which we did for peace to reign”
“We lost over ₦8 million Naira worth of consumables during that period ‘
” After unseiling the place, he still came and chased those who came to celebrate birthday in our office away because, they were singing, birthday song “
” He served us paper the next day before shutting it down a day later”
“We began to use advocacy to halt this trouble , yet to no avail. We consulted the commisioner for Culture and Tourism, Barr Ugochi Madueke, Mr Okoh Onyekachi, (Okwuruora ndi Igbo)and others that we know to intervene.”
“Few days later, Prof Chidiebere Onyia called us for a meeting in his office where, we addressed the issue squarely. He advised us on what to do in order for peace to reign and promised to unseal the place “. The meeting had it’s alterations which were all settled. The drawings were all examined, both the architectural and electrical drawings. I was asked to go and make some amendments.”
“During the meeting with the SSG, I revealed a secret about when the man told me to get him a sum of ₦25 million Naira to save myself from all these stress”
“The revelation shattered him which prompted the SSG to request that I put it in writing”
“I told the SSG that, he will not accept the documents if sent, but he asked me to do the needful first”
“After some days, I did as requested, but, Engr Anya refused to collect the amended designs from me”
“I have made series of efforts to get it across but all were futile”
On the allegations of running a different business from the approved, Mr Okeke said, the ECDTA Boss lied, and brought out documents showing the Agency approved the business as Restaurant, Lounge and Bar and not a brothel or hotel, which he said, the ECTDA boss claims .
Presenting Documents of approval as well as other legal documents gotten from the State Government agencies before erecting their company to the press, Mr Okeke called on Governor Peter Mbah to come to their aid once again as they are losing millions of Naira on a daily basis over this, saying that they have been supporting his administration through adequate payment of taxes and inviting their friends to come and invest in the state.
“I want to beckon on our State Government to come to our aid”
“We have invested over ₦500 million Naira in this business and we have over 60 staff on our payroll, who run different shifts”
“Our business is dying less than one year after it’s establishment and we don’t want it to destroyed”
“We are not parading any fake document as all we have, were obtained from the Agency where Engr Uche Anya is in charge of”
“He has mounted alarm which he on’s every night disperse our customers”
“Some times, it run for hours yet, it doesn’t appear like something that would stop so soon”
“I see Engr Uche Anya as father and why he is bent on destroying my business is still strange to me”
“I am hearing that, there are plans to demolish this place, all because, of a personal vendetta”
“Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, please, help us and save our investments”
