The Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has threatened to seal Obiano Park for housing illegal fruit sellers.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Markets, Evarist Uba, and circulated on different social media platforms.
The government alleged, amongst other things, that fruit sellers ejected from “Coke and and Barracks” market had relocated to the park, illegally, thereby constituting nuisance.
The statement reads “Government has noticed that in spite of its directive that the Fruits and Vegetables Markets at “Coke” and “Barrack” along the Express Road should relocate to the Ogbaru Market specifically created for that purpose behind “Power Mike”, some traders in defiance of this directive, have instead stubbornly moved into Obiano Park, still along the Express Road and Silas Works Road by Port Harcourt Road.
“It is regrettable to note that this directive was flouted with the support of the Manager of Obiano Park and one Sebastian Uzoeto (Sir Best) on Silas Works Road, both of who made their premises available to the recalcitrant traders, thereby undermining government’s effort to sanitize our market system in order to curb the environmental blight that results from the huge wastes generated by these markets, and the attendant public relations liability they pose before visitors entering Anambra State.
“Consequently, the modern Obiano Park which is meant for passenger vehicles to load and offload has been turned into illegal fruits and vegetable market, thereby messing up the hitherto clean Park and clogging the drainage along the Express Road with wastes generated from damaged and unsold spoilt fruits and vegetables.
Continuing, the statement said,”Silas Works Road, known for other different categories of product items, has also soon be defaced by the new perishable fruits market which has the tendency for speedily generating wastes.
“It is partly for these reasons that government decided to relocate the markets to Ogbaru, behind Power Mike to make for secluded and better efficient management of the waste products arising from their activities.
“Government is hereby giving these obstinate and uncooperative traders 48hours, from Friday the 26th of January, to immediately move to the recognised Fruits and Vegetables Market, Ogbaru. Where they fail to do so, government will be left with no option than to seal up the illegal markets.
“Traders are hereby advised to relocate and avoid unnecessary ugly incidents that will do no one any good.
