Hundreds of market women and other residents in Anambra State on Friday protested at the Onitsha South Local Government Area headquarters, over an alleged plot by the council chairman, Emeka Orji, to eject them from their Oduigbo section of the Ochanja Central market.

Chief Chukwudi Eke, the protesters' spokesperson, accused the council chairman of colluding with the chairman of Ochanja Central Market, Chief Bonaventure Muo, to evict them in the pretext of erecting ultra-modern shops in the market.

The protesters who were mainly widows were seen carrying placards with the inscription, "council chairman, Emeka Orji, what have we done to you?”, “we are widows and eke our living from Oduigbo market”, “Gov. Soludo come to our rescue, they want to demolish the shops in the market to acquire more shops to be the ones they have", among others.

Speaking to the press at the gate of the council headquarters, during the protest, Chief Eke was quoted as saying, "The market chairman, Chief Muo and the council chairman, gave us two days to vacate the market or they will use caterpillars to demolish the over 300 shops.

"They said Sunday and Monday would be used for the demolition and asked us to vacate the market before they come up with their weapons of destruction. There was a time the government came and told us that the market was dark that there should be light in the market by renovating it.

"We told them that we can do that by ourselves to their taste but because of interest they have in the market to have shops, they now want to eject us. 80 per cent of the traders here are widows that eke their living from the Oduigbo market.

"We plead to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to come to our rescue as we have no other person to understand our predicament except him as Nwa Mgbafor,” he stated.

Also, the spokesperson of the widows, Mrs Ifeoma Emeka, bemoaned the manner in which her fellow members were being treated by the relevant stakeholders in the market.

She was quoted saying, “80 per cent of the traders here are widows who eke their living from here. The council chairman and the Ochanja Central market chairman should not see us as slaves but as people who are catering for their families since the death of their husbands that were the breadwinners.

"The shops they want to demolish are modern shops and we are ready to renovate them by ourselves if asked to do so. I plead to Governor Soludo to come to the rescue of the traders" she pleaded.

When asked about the situation, the council chairman, Emeka Orji, declined to comment, but the chairman of the Ochanja market, Chief Muo, stated that he was acting on orders from the government.

He said, "The government wants to restore sanity in the market and ensure that those in the streets are brought into the markets to avoid unforeseen catastrophe.

"What the government is doing is for the traders’ own good, to avoid accidents and street trading that is nuisance to the state. We are not sacking them; rather it is to better their environment," he stated.

Meanwhile, in a circular titled “FINAL NOTICE OF DEMOLITION”, signed by Emeka Joseph Orji, Chairman Onitsha South Local Government which was made available to SaharaReporters on Friday, the site clearing was fixed for Sunday.

The circular, therefore, urged all the traders and dwellers of the area to remove all their belongings that might hinder the planned site clearing on Sunday.

Source: https://saharareporters.com/2023/06/30/hundreds-anambra-state-traders-protest-against-planned-demolition-shops-onitsha-ochanja

I hope the begi begi governor and their so-called elders that went to prostrate before our able governor, Soowolu would as well go about it the same way with their counterpart Alambra government.

At least, beg since their counterpart is not as powerful as Soowolu.

Soludo better look into this allegation.


And if truly there's need for ultra modern complex, it shouldn't be done carelessly. Adequate provision should be made for these traders most of whom are bread winners for their families, to be able to carry on with their businesses unaffected.


Laws are made for humans, not humans for law. Every initiative should better lives of people, not set them backwards

Hope this isn't true

I hate hypocrisy, double standards and unnessary wailings. Why are they acting deaf and dumb to what's going on in Anambra?, is the lives of ibos in Anambra matters less than Lagos?

Obviously, it's easier for a cat to sleep on the same bed with a rat,than for Soludo to win a second tenure in Anambra state.That man isn't getting a second tenure, because he's been full of bitter disappointment.
Ever since he took office, he's been mired in one controversy or the other, from high taxation,to verbal attacks on PO during the presidential election campaign.

Fake news from west
Just yesterday The Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Onyekachi Ibezim has commissioned F.C Complex comprising over two hundred shops in Obosi market in Idemili north local government
https://.com.ng/2023/07/01/anambra-state-deputy-governor-ibezim-commissions-plaza-commends-ezenkwu-for-investing-home/

Where's Obi Ezekwesili they need her Voice in Anambra or na Only Lagos Life matters...


Bunch of hypocrite they've all gone mute....


Life in Anambra and Business in Anambra are not important to them buh Life and Business in Far away...


Same people shouting we want to go home this the same home you want to go to experiencing demolition and the victimization you're crying from far away....


They will never hold derr Leader for anything if they're not blaming the Presidency they're looking for a region to Blame for why dere region is backwards and start telling us is because they've no Sea Port....

In the land of billionaires ,we are seeing poverty.

By the way ,what is the meaning of Ultra Modern shops.

Provide alternative first

EKONGKING:
In the land of billionaires ,we are seeing poverty.

By the way ,what is the meaning of Ultra Modern shops.

Did you see any brown roof there.

If na Lagos they for don shut down social media with their usual victim mentality is because we are Ibos because we didn't vote for BAT etc

Now it is happening in Anambra and everywhere is quiet.

Hypocrites and tribal bigots everywhere.

Yeyenatu

That woman will never speak up for them but if it was Lagos state government demolishing buildings she'll quickly victimize her kinsmen smh!.

Ok

Only Anambra everytime

Anambra must ronu by force.

This country needs fixing, if this is happening in lagos I know what my people will be saying.

Lolz.. na Sanwo-Olu's work naa,
MARCH enter GIDI..

This is not the right time to do this. Even if it, let it be done in phases and temporary market be provided before demolition. Don't make things more difficult for people who had already gone through alot

Adding more hardship and frustration to the masses

That's one horrible developers are currently doing in Lagos state.
Building recklessly and when demolition comes , we begin to see protests as this

Wealthoptulent:
Lolz.. na Sanwo-Olu's work naa,
MARCH enter GIDI..

and Tinubu handiwork, we hate development in our zone. Anambra no be Lagos

This tribe is endangered. They are not wanted at home and they are not loved outside

This part got me reeling in laughter,

" [b]There was a time the government came and told us that the market was dark that there should be light in the market by renovating it.

"We told them that we can do that by ourselve[/b]s...."

Nigerian women have weaponized widowhood as a battle tool oo...always quick to brandish it, they shouldn't make us start probing what actually happened to their husband ooh!

I trust the igbos to ignore dis.......if it were to be lagos even if d major occupiers of d shops r not igbos dey will still cry that igbos r being attacked

B