All illegal structures and shop extensions erected on the tarred roads along Bright Street and White House axis inside Onitsha Main Market have been removed by the Anambra State Government.
The leader of the demolition task force, and provost of the market, Mr Felix Umerah, said that the exercise was carried out in compliance with the directives of Governor Chukwuma Soludo.
Umerah, also a trader in Main Market disclosed that the governor had ordered all market executives in the state to decongest every entrance road into their various markets to make way for the free flow of human and vehicular movements.
“We are removing all the shop attachments and projections that block roads causing obstruction to movements to and fro this market, and reduce our level of sales and patronage from our customers,” Umerah said.
Addressing the government officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry that visited the site, on Monday, the Secretary of the market, Mr Obijekwu Ifediora, complained that some traders abandoned their shops to display their wares on the tarred roads, making movements along the roads almost impossible.
“We mobilized a joint taskforce with some security apparatus to rid the market roads of all obstructions, and to send these traders and hucksters back into their respective shops.
“As you can see, two vehicles can now overtake each here, there will be normal and peaceful movements of humans and vehicles on these roads again. This is how roads ought to be,” Ifediora said.
Another member of the decongestion committee, Hon Victor Adizi, said that the governor’s directive being enforced will create a conducive environment for businesses to thrive in Main Market.
He called on the state government to give them written authority to also clear Bida and Sokoto roads where some locals protest over the jurisdiction of the territory.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune