By CHARLES IWUOHA

The Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) has ordered all bystanders, hawkers, highway traders and petroleum tankers at Eke Obinagu, along Enugu-Abakaliki-Cameroon highway to vacate all sides of the Trans-African highway within 14 days or face its wrath of demolition and prosecution.

The Eke-Obinagu road market has in the recent times brought about perennial traffic congestion, made worse with the menace of petroleum tankers and which in several cases resulted to road crashes, including the recent death of the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Infrastructure for concession, Engr. Fidelis Nweze.

Chairman of ECTDA, Denge Josef Onoh, said that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, after so much effort at controlling traffic at the Eke-Obinagu/NNPC axis ordered the ECTDA to ensure that the market traders relocate to their designated and developed market adjacent to the NNPC depot which he said they left unoccupied but came out to the road.

He lamented that Governor Ugwuanyi as a sitting governor had on occasions personally come down and decongested traffic at the menaced Eke-Obinagu/NNPC junction which he said was embarrassing, yet the illegal road occupiers failed to reciprocate his concern in the area.

Onoh further disclosed that his agency has made arrangements for relocation of all NNPC depot tankers and auto mechanics who have occupied the two sides of the Trans-African highway so as to ease traffic and save lives at the congested area.

Onoh stated that in line with the agency’s development control mandate, he, in company of the traditional ruler, the Surveyor General of the state, House of Assembly member Hon Hillary Ugwu; Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Transport, Ogbonna Idike and Governor Ugwuanyi’s aides visited Eke-Obinagu, Emene and Abakpa crowded areas where they resented to the impunity violations of city development control in the guise of trading along major streets in the areas.

He extended his eviction notice to the remnant traders at the former Oye-Emene market and every street trader along Amuri road, Texaco and Liberty bus stops and all other hawkers along Nike road in Abakpa area of the metropolis.

“In the events of these therefore, the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority hereby gives all illegal markets and shanties that have dominated the Eke-Obinagu/NNPC way 14 days from now to relocate as demolition of the 216 illegal structures, makeshift markets and shanties that have defaced that entire environment and have increased robbery, drug abuse, making it difficult for people with genuine business to move freely. After 14 days, the ECTDA will commence immediate and total demolition of that entire area,” Onoh said.

He stated that any form of disobedience or resistance will be met with superior force and urged the illegal occupiers of the affected places to comply with the directive.

“Anybody that fails to comply does that at his own risk as it is even stated in Romans 13, verse 2 and in verse 59 of Surah An-Nisa in the Quran. They are to move to an already existing Eke-Obinagu market close to them that has been left fallow for years. They refused to go there because they want to trade on the road and on public drainages bringing about flooding in the area.

“The same goes to all the illegal shanties and structures along the Rehab road at the former Oye-Emene which will all be demolished. I kindly urge those affected by these activities to quietly and respectively move or they will be moved by force,” Onoh notified.

On the nuisance at Abakpa, the ECTDA boss said that further demolition will affect all structures built along transmission lines; illegal markets and motor parks built in the area that have turned Abakpa from a well planned city into a slum. We will start from NOWAS junction into Abakpa.

“Any bus operating in illegal packs will be impounded, chopped, recycled and sold as scrap metal. All these notices are within 14 days because the past administrations since 1999 had given them notices. We will also continue enforcement in the various layouts that collectively form the Enugu city master plan.

“I assure the good people of Enugu state that Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority will not fail to bring sanity and ensure that Enugu maintains its glory and serenity. To all defaulters I assure them that demolition continues until sanity is restored and I owe no one apology,” Onoh said.

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