OVER 150 traders of Progress Market Extension, trading at Haruna, Niger and Ifejika Streets, Odoakpu Onitsha, Monday called on Governor Chukwuma Soludo, of Anambra State to prevail on the Chairman Transition Committee, Onitsha South Local Government Area, Mr Emeka Orji, to halt his planned demolition of their legally acquired shops.
The traders also told the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, not to allow the Police Area Command Onitsha, the Commander 302 Artillery Regiment Onitsha and the Commander Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corp, NSCDC, carrying out the alleged illegal demolition.
The traders vowed to resist any attempt to demolish their shops by the Council area authority, it alleged wants to disposes them of their legally acquired shops on the pretest of decongesting the shops on the drainage system, with the intention to give same to the highest bidder, following the rising business profile of the area.
The Onitsha South Local Government Authority had in a letter to the traders dated June 15, 2023 signed by Mr. P . Onuachala, Special Duties Adviser, for Onitsha South Local Government Chairman, given the traders 48 hours told owners / occupiers to dismantle the shops to safe their goods and materials from demolition/enforcement action.
However, the traders in reply to letter through their lawyers, Chief Ikenna Egbuna, SAN, and Mr. C.M. Obijagwa, Esq, respectively, entitled Re “Final Notice to Remove shops at Progress Market Extension near Haruna Street Odoakpu Onitsha, said their shops were not built on the drainage system where the state government is carrying out expansion work, neither are they obstructing the ongoing construction of a bridge in the area.