Have you passed Zik Avenue Awka recently? I did on my visit to Anambra about 3 weeks ago and could not believe my eyes.

About 100m from Eke Awka and 100m after, the road midian is all decorated with a special kind of flower. Hundreds polybags stuffed with refuse. They line the center of the already narrow 2 lane road, with unbearable stench oozing from both sides of my car windows. Lazy and utterly confused road traffic personnel stand by them, giving them the stamp of government, and the glue of incompetence.

One wonders if Soludo lives in the same city or if its really the capital city. Basic Cleaning and sanitation does not require building demolition. If we can't solve simple things like this that make our environment liveable, tons of demolishions will only add to the stench, because even the rubbles will remain at the site.

If European cities, built half hazardly without plans, are the wonders of tourists today, then our very first attempt at city building after emerging from villages should not be something to be asshamed of and demolished. But something to embelish and preserve while we do better. A good physical planning engineer will plan to upgrade and retain existing structures, demolishing only were its absolutely necessary, with adequate economic compensation.

The city centers in Edinburgh, and many other cities in italy are all 1700s squalors pigstries which are today embelished and branded as historic building. The italians focused on their clay rooftiles as the beauty, while the Scottish in Edinburgh focused on sandstone walls. Which is just utterly and merely mud. They all sell these things daily and daily the world buys plane tickets, tour tickets, etc to go see those upgraded pigsties and unorganised settlements as evidence of fine living.

With mordern knowledge, we can plan and control new developments, but never wish away the old. Its not just history, it is identity and only needs a knowledgable hand to put it in perspective.

Polands warsaw is the only European city with wide streets because the Russians and Germans destroyed what they had, and they built from scratch. The wide open streets lack character. Warsaw is one of the least visited cities as no one wants to go see roads straigth as hair pin and bult by machines. Polish people are yet to forget what they lost and never cease to write about it. Onitsha today has a lot of character, marking both prewar prosperity and postwar survival.

My grandparents left their marks somewhere in Odakpu, marks that I and my children would love to see. But when i found that street on google map, it now had 5 floor buildings. Speaking of the prosperity that followed their era. Do not just destroy buildings for no reason other than aesthetics. Have the environment reworked to be beautiful and livable. At least Onitsha has well invested buildings not shanties.

The diamond planned roads of Fegge, from Niger Ave, bounded by creek road, present a unique opportunity. Clean up and dress it down with cobbled streets, renovated buildings with a central theme, add a few street cars and restricted vehicle entry, with an Amusement center/Mall at the central square (fegge-obasi,arondizuogu, uzodinmma), and you can have a proper High Street or Retail area that will attract people far and wide. Similar to Victoria Area in London, Princess Street Area in Edinburgh or the Gran Via in Madrid.

epistleNow:
It's interesting that you guys are hailing Soludo, saying he should sanitize the state but if its the Lagos state government doing exactly the same you guys will be badmouthing the state.

Folks be consistent !
You are naively showing you are biased and that's why you are not being taken serious in the larger society.

What nonsense is this talking about!

Powersurge:


I am just laughing at you. Sanity must be restored when it comes to pple with no name.

I don’t understand

kozmokaz:


I don’t understand

You don't understand that Nigerian politicians and leaders only " do the right thing" when the average man is involved? Do you think Soludo would demolish OBJ house for instance if he built there? And even if he does, do you know how much he would pay him?

The son Maina shoot at EFCC when they came to arrest his father (the man dt stole billions), not a single hair fell from his body fell. Can you throw stone at police and live to tell the story?

Good luck with una wey still blv in this country.

CoronaVirusRelo:


Soludo is handicapped!

He does not have the financial resource to hit the ground running. Obiano has looted state dry.

All he has in his schedule now is visitation, civil servant downsizing, and destruction.

Trying hard to perform with little.

Well summarised. I wish him well

Tomek09:
Happening now!!!

The Anambra State Government continues the demolition exercise in Onitsha Metropolitan Council Area of the State.

The Joint Taskforce comprising of Police, Army, Civil Defence, Anambra Vigilante Group and EbubeAgu is currently demolishing a double storey building and detached buildings of an abbauer market obstructing the Sakamori Nwangele drainage Canal.

This exercise is in line with Governor Soludo's vow to implement the Greater Onitsha Urban Renewal Plan as part of his efforts in reshaping and rebuilding the commercial and industrial hub of Anambra and SouthEast at large.

©
I-Witness Media
Onitsha.

Like Hell-Rufai bring down the building...

If our laws is not strict and harsh we cantvb better.tp run a govt in nigeria needs courage not sympathy

afube:





What nonsense is this talking about!

As predicted, zero sense of response.

kozmokaz:


The government won't pay a dine if it goes against the state plan or the encroached on government areas which I'm sure they did

Dan Borno.....( Kanuri Boy)
Write in English pls

Shikenan nagode