Anambra Government Demolishes Illegal Structures in Onitsha Main Market

The Anambra State Government has commenced another phase of demolition of illegal structures in Onitsha Main Market as part of efforts to reclaim designated walkways and parking spaces and restore the market to its original master plan.

The exercise, carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, covered illegal structures along Sokoto Road, Johnson Street and Bright Street.

Speaking during the exercise, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Barrister Chijioke Ojukwu, said the demolition was aimed at restoring order and ensuring the free flow of traffic within the market.

Ojukwu expressed disappointment that some traders waited until the commencement of the demolition to evacuate their goods, despite receiving three separate notices from the ministry. He urged residents to obey the law and support the government’s efforts to restore order and improve the state’s urban environment.

Earlier, officials of the ministry also demolished two lock up shops illegally attached to both sides of an iconic building along New Market Road, Onitsha.

The commissioner warned developers against illegal construction, stressing that the Soludo administration would not tolerate developments that undermine the state’s urban regeneration agenda, endanger lives or threaten the environment.

The President General of the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA, Chief Humphrey Anuna, confirmed that the demolition exercise had been widely publicised before its commencement. He commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his commitment to repositioning the state’s economy through proactive leadership.