The illegal structures and shop extensions erected on the tarred roads in Onitsha Main Market, Anambra State, have been demolished.
The leader of the demolition team, and Provost of the market, Mr Felix Umerah, said the exercise was carried out in compliance with the directives of the state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo.
Umerah 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.
He said, “We are removing all the shop attachments and projections that block roads causing obstruction of movements to and fro the market, and reduce our level of sales and patronage from our customers”.
Speaking to the officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry that visited the site, the secretary of the market, Mr Obijekwu Ifediora, complained that some traders abandoned their shops to display their wares on the tarred roads, thereby making movements along the roads almost impossible.
Ifediora said, “We mobilised a joint taskforce with some security apparatus to rid the market roads of all obstructions, and to send these traders and hawkers 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 “.
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 the 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 jurisdiction of territory.
