Market leaders at Building Materials International Market, Bakery Market and other markets in Ogidi Idemili-North Local Government Area of Anambra State have again drew the attention of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo to incessant deaths in front of Building Materials Market along Onitsha-Enugu federal highway.

The market leaders while briefing newsmen, said over 30 traders have lost their lives to hit-and-run vehicles at rush hours while many have sustained excruciating injuries from accidents on the express due to lack of pedestrian bridge in the area.

Another very disgusting issue the market leaders raised was the atrocities being perpetrated by the officials of the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA). They accused ARTMA officials of roaming around the market with POS machines extorting money from customers whom they didn’t give proper directions as to where they should park their vehicles or provided road signs.

The Building Materials International Market (BMIM) President General, Chief Jude Nwankwo, called on both the Federal and State Government to expedite construction of a pedestrian bridge across the Enugu/Onitsha Expressway, saying that over 30 persons which include traders, customers, and passers-by have lost their lives while trying to cross the ever busy highway flanked by several markets.

Chief Nwankwo, Patron, Anambra State Market Amalgamated Traders Association (ASMATA) urged members of the Anambra State House of Assembly who recently entertained a motion on siting pedestrian bridges at Obodoukwu Junction Ogbaru, Regina Celi, Awka and TRACAS Onitsha to consider including the Building materials market axis as one of the places that needs urgent attention to forestall further loss of lives in the area.

“I must commend the robust and proactive State Legislatures we have now in the House of Assembly and also laud His Excellency, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, Solution Governor for the massive infrastructural development going on at various parts of the state including his successes in the area of security.

“There is a serious need for a pedestrian bridge across this market expressway. We have about six major markets here: BMIM, Bakery International market, Synthetic fabrics International market, Importers Zone Building materials market, Provisions & Cosmetics market, and various major plazas around this axis. These result into a surge during morning and closing hours as people try to access or leave these markets.

“Many lives have been lost, no fewer than 30 persons have died without counting those injured or sometimes hospitalized. Let the State Government or Federal government build a pedestrian bridge here; many of those who died were breadwinners and people’s relatives.

“I also want to use this opportunity to remind Gov. Soludo to consider the reconstruction and tarring of these Building Materials to Ogidi High Court road which we created. The reconstruction of the road will decongest the gridlock often experienced at this BMIM/Site expressway junction,” Nwankwo said.

Also, the PG Synthetic Dealers Association, Ogidi market, Chief Sunday Muofunanya said that it high time a pedestrian bridge is constructed in the area to boost the market activities there.

“The economic situation of Nigeria is stressing the people so oftentimes people may be rushing to meet with some things and lose focus, sometimes the brake of a vehicle may fail to result to accident and if such happened during rush hour in the front the markets, the Carnage will be much.

“I also want to plead with the State Government to fulfill their promise by putting a stop to street trading and driving all street markets into their permanent site, especially those markets that had long moved into their permanent site. It will increase the IGR and control of markets in the hands of good leaders,” Muofunanya said.

According to the Chairman of Importers zone Building Materials Market Ogbunike, Oyi LGA, Mr Tobenna Igboanugo, coming from Awka the road is sloppy at this end, and it is always risky to cross the double lane at rush hour because the population is so much.

“I wish they could relocate the pedestrian bridge at Tarzan junction Nkpor to this place because it is underutilized over there but will be more useful here.

“I also plead with His Excellency to direct the Ministry of Works to commence palliative work on this Site to Ugwunwasike road to ease traffic or completely reconstruct it with drainages because any road without drainage is a waste of resources as water will find its levels.

“Governor Soludo should also sanitize the roads from illegal revenue collectors scaring our customers. They wear ATMA uniforms with POS machines to extort money from unsuspecting motorists, charging them for wrong parking without providing alternative space but they collect bribes from vehicles plying one-way against traffic which is very dangerous,” Igboanugo alleged. (Daily Independent: Text, Excluding Headline)

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