The shop owners of Human Fence line, zone one of Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State has said that they wanted to rehabilitate their shops to avert imminent fire disaster due to the deplorable wooden structure of the shops.
The traders and shop owners of the main market line who deals on clothes and fabrics said that their anonymous decision to embark on the rehabilitation of the shop was due to the approval of state government to carry out the project.
The Chairman of the market line Chief Reggis Madu in a press briefing said that before now the state house of Assembly had invited them on the matter where they approved the rehabilitation of the shops to avert looming danger especially in this harmattan period.
The Chairman who was flanked by his secretary Mr. Okechukwu Okeke and other members such as Anayo Ekunie, Margaret Orihe, Echezona Nabuobi, Cyril Udemezue, Chima Norasokwu, Chukwudi Chimah, Ifeoma Nwafor, Calistus Onwuzulike, Reuben Nwakamma and Chibuzor Obasi denied any plan to block the park as alleged in some quarters, stressing that they will only rehabilitate their existing shops.
“We were invited by the State House of Assembly to known whether we are the real shop owners of the area, they asked us whether we really wrote to the state government for approval for the rehabilitation of the existing shops, we said yes and they promised us to liaise with the executive arm to facilitate the approval of the project.
“We wrote to the state government to either allow us rehabilitate the place or it will do that because of the wooden structure existing for many years in that place due to fear of fire outbreak. And government has graciously approved the project but some unknown persons are trying to twist the truth. They said that Chairman of the main market Mr. Kenneth Onyeka wanted to built new market at the park which is untrue and misleading.
“We want to state categorically that no new market is being constructed to replace the park but we anonymously agreed to rehabilitate our existing wooden shops to avert fire disaster. We don’t want to block the park but construct block walls that will not be prone to fire because we are selling clothing materials.
“All the shop owners met and agreed to rehabilitate the shops before we wrote to the government. We have over 112 shops in that place. There is no shop owner that is against the project. We are appealing to the government to hasten up and start the project and ensure that after the project the shop owners will retain their shops to continue to carry out their businesses” Madu stated.
Credit: Daily Sun